SB 65-DEPT. OF LABOR: TECHNICAL ED. PROGRAMS  2:04:58 PM CHAIR REINBOLD announced that the next order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 65, "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; and providing for an effective date." 2:05:06 PM TAMIKA LEDBETTER, PhD; Commissioner Designee, Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD), Anchorage, said that the department's primary focus is to connect Alaskans to the job opportunities in the state. She highlighted the department's goal to connect more young Alaskans with high-quality career or technical training, and education that can lead to job opportunities in their home regions. Whether those individuals reside in coastal or interior Alaska, the department seeks to identify partnerships with employers and training organizations to prepare Alaskans for these opportunities. SB 65 would add language in AS Title 44 that directs the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) to coordinate and monitor state career and technical educational programs by cooperating with the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), the University of Alaska, and any other entities that provide career or technical training. The Department also helps employers find skilled workers and identifies education and training opportunities for their current workforce, she said. 2:07:08 PM COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE LEDBETTER said that the Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB) is the lead state planning and coordinating entity for human resource programs in the state. Members represent a diverse cross section of businesses and educational partners in Alaska. In 2010, the AWIB worked in cooperation with the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) and the University of Alaska to develop the 2010 Alaska Career and Technical Education (CTE) plan, which called for strategies to improve career and technical education and prepare Alaskans with skills needed for postsecondary training and careers in high growth occupations in Alaska. The CTE plan called for increasing efforts to develop career pathways, career counseling, standards for training programs, coordination, and program delivery. The plan addressed the individual need for career preparedness as well as the broader need for a training and education system that is efficient, effective, and coordinated with current and future workforce needs. In 2018, these same partners developed the addendum to the Alaska Career and Technical Education Plan. This effort was made to reenergize and reexamine CTE plan strategies to help ensure that a broad spectrum of educational opportunities is communicated to Alaskans, she said. The CTE coordinator's role is to work to implement the CTE plan strategy, she said. Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC) provides a premier state training school for customized training directed at specific employers and long-term training. These programs average nine months in duration in fields such as maritime, applied technology, the culinary arts, energy and building technology, and information technology. Another key role that the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) plays is the dissemination of Career and Technical Training Funds through State Training and Employment Program Funds and many federal grant programs, she said. COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE LEDBETTER said that SB 65 would formalize the DOLWD as the lead agency in coordinating and monitoring state career and technical education. 2:10:14 PM SENATOR BIRCH remarked on the level of engagement and the positive impact that continuing technical education has had on Alaska's children. Specifically, he recalled the superintendent of the Juneau School District reported a graduation rate of 82 percent which bumped up to 84 percent for those who took some additional classes in a fifth year. Remarkably, the graduation rate for students with access to technical education component jumped to 93-94 percent. He said that was pleased to see this proposal coming forward. 2:11:31 PM SENATOR COSTELLO said that she was encouraged to see the department break down some "silos" because the Department of Education and DOLWD should be working in tandem. One of department's roles is to get Alaska's youth ready for the work force and the other is to train people for work. She said she viewed these roles as a natural link. She asked whether the bill goes far enough. For example, she said that she would like the department to review current career and technical opportunities at the Anchorage School District's middle and high schools. She asked whether the language should identify more detailed goals. COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE LEDBETTER suggested that the current language in the bill was fine. She explained that career and technical education does not stop at K-12. The goal is to provide a robust strategy and plan to address CTE training at every level from K-12 on to age 99, if possible, she said. She offered her belief that a career and technical education plan should result in employment or it is a failed plan. The department should lead the way because the employer community is its primary customer. As the department assesses training and workforce needs, it must coordinate with the DEED and the University of Alaska system to ensure that people are trained and educated to fill vacant and new positions that the department brings to Alaska. SENATOR COSTELLO asked for the local school districts' role. COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE LEDBETTER said that the CTE coordinator's role is to reach out and work with all schools, private industry, and the university system to ensure that plans are in place. While young people may not know what they want to be as adults, by fifth grade they know exactly what they don't want to be, she said. The department will work to encourage these entities to recognize this opportunity to partner with the DOLWD and not view the coordination as a "hostile takeover." She said that this is something necessary to grow Alaska's workforce. 2:15:21 PM SENATOR COSTELLO asked whether she has information on the types of jobs and careers that will be needed in Alaska. COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE LEDBETTER answered that the department always considers jobs in demand. She said that she would report back to the committee on the specific jobs. SENATOR COSTELLO recalled the Department of Education and Early Development's commissioner previously spoke before the Senate Education Committee on the role of coding. She asked whether coding jobs were being reviewed by the department. COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE LEDBETTER answered that the DOLWD worked closely with the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) on coding academies. She reported that events were held, in Kotzebue and in the Mat-Su Valley. She stated that coding was one of the industries that would be surfacing in Alaska. The state is poised to take advantage of many opportunities due to its geographic location. Although many younger people have expressed interest in coding, people of all ages could code. She welcomed members to attend the Juneau kickoff event later in the week. In response to Chair Reinbold, she instructed her staff to provide the information on the event to the committee. 2:18:02 PM SENATOR BISHOP asked whether she could identify any benchmarks for underperforming school districts and the deliverables she wanted to accomplish. He offered his belief that Alaska does not spend enough on career education in school districts in the state. COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE LEDBETTER answered that the department already has language in the Alaska Workforce Investment Board plan. The department has stepped up as a leader in career and technical education. This proposal would strengthen that role. She identified career and technical education as one of her primary focuses. The governor has expressed interest in providing these opportunities to Alaska's youth. Adding the duty to coordinate and monitor state career and technical educational programs would bring a richness to the program. CTE means more than just providing a CTE class in a school or hiring a CTE instructor. It must be imbedded in the state. In fact, the reason to educate and train people is to provide them with good paying jobs, which is an investment that will result in a higher qualified workforce. 2:20:52 PM CHAIR REINBOLD remarked that she was a firm believer in technical classes. She said the drafting, woodworking, and automotive courses she took were the best classes she had taken in school. She expressed concern that these types of classes were cut from Eagle River High School. SENATOR COSTELLO reported that the upcoming coding session would be held on March 21 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Alaska State Museum. The coding session did not require previous expertise and industry leaders would be attending. 2:24:16 PM CHAIR REINBOLD opened public testimony and after first determining no one wished to testify, closed public testimony on SB 65. [SB 65 was held in committee.]