STAND. COM. REP. NO. 277

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 452

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 452 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO APPRENTICESHIPS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to continue and expand health care apprenticeship programs at the University of Hawaii community colleges.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that apprenticeship programs approved by University of Hawaii community colleges are composed of two major components: work process and related instruction. The work process component consists of on-the-job training, while the related instruction component is the structured class and laboratory or shop curricula. Therefore, apprenticeship programs develop job skills through theoretical and practical experiences.

Your Committee further finds that, in 2016, the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration awarded the Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations a substantial grant to expand apprenticeship opportunities in information technology and health care. This grant helped to alleviate the shortage of physicians, pharmacy technicians, nursing assistants, paraoptometric technicians, medical laboratory workers, and community health workers. This measure further supports the development, education, and training for individuals looking to enter the health care field.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 452 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair