STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 1450

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 837

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 837, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to address critical industry needs and promote business development by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), to report on its efforts to increase the number of high-skilled jobs; and

(2) Clarifying the duties of the Workforce Development Council (WDC).

Specifically, this bill requires:

(1) DBEDT to submit an annual report to the Legislature on its efforts to increase the number of high-skilled jobs in targeted industries;

(2) WDC to include in the comprehensive state plan for workforce development:

(A) The number of placements of individuals into higher-skilled jobs;

(B) Methods to:

(i) Educate the private section about public and private financial assistance available for workforce development;

(ii) Facilitate access to workforce development resources; and

(iii) Facilitate the Department of Education's development of curriculum to prepare students for private sector employment;

(D) The need for skilled workers in the next five and ten years;

(E) Recommendations to change and improve existing state programs;

(F) The identification of resources required, obstacles to overcome, and best practice models to implement the plan; and

(G) A detailed budget for the plan with justification for each expenditure;

(3) WDC to recommend policies and funding priorities that meet the State's responsibility to review and assess the coordination between state and federal workforce development programs and the placements of workers in higher-skilled jobs;

(4) WDC to establish reporting requirements for job placement results by category of occupations in high-demand and high-growth areas; and

(5) WDC to include in its annual report information relating to the number of individuals placed in high-demand or high-growth employment through workforce development

programs by departments, and allocations of state, federal, and other funding to achieve placements into higher-skilled jobs.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations supported this measure. DBEDT, High Technology Development Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and Enterprise Honolulu supported the intent of this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 837, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair