HB2959 HD1

SECTION 1. Act 283, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, is amended as follows:

1. By adding a new section to read:

"SECTION 1A. The educational workforce working group shall create a website for the dissemination of information regarding workforce development resources, initiatives, and programs within the state."

2. By amending sections 1 and 2 to read:

"SECTION 1. (a) There is established an educational workforce working group within the department of labor and industrial relations for administrative purposes only. The chairperson of the workforce development council or the chairperson's designee shall convene the first meeting of the educational workforce working group no later than August 1, 2007, at which time the members shall select a chair, to examine and address the following issues:

(1) How well the workforce needs of Hawaii are currently being met;

(2) How prepared the [~~State~~] state is to meet the workforce needs of the future;

(3) What recommendations can be made to improve Hawaii's educational system to fulfill the workforce needs of the future;

(4) What is the current relationship between the public schools and emerging industries;

(5) What percentage of high school students participate in any form of vocational or professional training outside of the school setting;

(6) What aspects of high school curriculum, standards, and assessment strategies have a direct relationship to the [~~State's~~] state's future workforce needs;

(7) What are the challenges or impediments to creating a more direct relationship between schools and economy-driving industries of the [~~State;~~] state;

(8) How might autonomous schools-within-schools, magnet schools, specialized schools, and charter schools be better used to create more direct links between high schools and economy-driving industries of the [~~State;~~] state; and

(9) How might the size of public schools, the distribution of discretionary funding, the decentralized authority of school community councils or charter school local school boards, and other organizational reforms be better used to satisfy the workforce development needs of the information and technology age.

(b) The educational workforce working group shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations regarding the issues set forth in subsection (a), including any recommendations and proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular [~~session~~] sessions of 2008[.], 2009, and 2010; provided that the 2009 and 2010 reports shall also include information on the progress of the working group and any initiatives or programs implemented as a result of this Act.

(1) Two representatives appointed by the president of the senate;

(2) Two representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(3) The director of business, economic development, and tourism or the director's designee;

(4) The superintendent of education or the superintendent's designee;

(5) Two representatives from the University of Hawaii system; provided that at least one shall be the chancellor of a community college;

(6) Two high school principals appointed by the superintendent of education from the high school principals leadership group;

(7) The executive director of the Hawaii P-20 council or the executive director's designee;

(8) The chairperson of the workforce development council or the chairperson's designee;

(9) The president and chief executive officer of Enterprise Honolulu or the president and chief executive officer's designee;

(10) The president of the Hawaii Science and Technology Council or the president's designee;

(11) The president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Community Foundation or the president and chief executive officer's designee; and

(12) The executive director of the Honolulu Community Action Program or the executive director's designee.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $25,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for 2008-2009 for the educational workforce working group.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of labor and industrial relations for the purposes of this part."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2959
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII