00SENATE BILL NO. 255                                                                                                     
01 "An Act establishing a comprehensive policy relating to human resource                                                  
02 development in the state."                                                                                              
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  AS 44.99 is amended by adding a new section to article 2 to read:                                      
05  Sec. 44.99.130.  STATEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT                                                              
06 POLICY FOR THE STATE.  (a)  State programs and activities in the fields of                                              
07 economic development, education, vocational education, job training, and social service                                 
08 shall be coordinated to further the state's primary goal of enabling the people of the                                  
09 state to become part of a literate, skilled, and productive work force and to have an                                   
10 opportunity to earn a living wage.  The Department of Commerce and Economic                                             
11 Development, the Department of Community and Regional Affairs, the Department of                                        
12 Education, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Labor,                                       
13 the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, and the University of Alaska shall                                    
14 plan, coordinate, and implement their programs and activities to better achieve the                                     

01 state's primary goal.                                                                                                   
02  (b)  Public officials responsible for economic development programs and                                               
03 systems in the state shall coordinate planning with public officials responsible for job                                
04 training and human resource development programs and systems concerning anticipated                                     
05 economic development activities so that those programs and systems can prepare                                          
06 clients for the forthcoming employment opportunities in a timely manner.                                                
07  (c)  Public officials responsible for education programs and systems, including                                       
08 vocational education, shall structure those programs and systems to prepare students                                    
09 to enter the work force.  To this end, the state's educational system shall ensure that                                 
10 students develop competency in basic and technological skills along with work force                                     
11 readiness values.                                                                                                       
12  (d)  Public officials responsible for the state's job training system shall                                           
13 coordinate with business, industry, and labor in the state to anticipate and provide                                    
14 appropriate training for new employment opportunities that are opening up because of                                    
15 economic development and other employment opportunities that are already present or                                     
16 developing in the state.                                                                                                
17  (e)  The social service programs of the state shall be structured to provide an                                       
18 avenue for people who are unemployed to make the transition from welfare to                                             
19 employment and self-sufficiency and shall coordinate to ensure that social services and                                 
20 human resource development services are available to a client in a centralized location                                 
21 with convenient, coordinated hours of service.                                                                          
22  (f)  To plan, monitor, and coordinate the programs, systems, and activities                                           
23 identified in this section, the governor shall use the Alaska Job Training Council as the                               
24 recognized state job training coordinating council.  The council shall submit a report                                  
25 making recommendations on ways in which the state can enhance the coordination and                                      
26 delivery of economic development and human resource development programs and                                            
27 systems, education programs and systems, including vocational education, the job                                        
28 training system, and social service programs to enable the people of the state to                                       
29 become part of a literate, skilled, and productive work force and to have an                                            
30 opportunity to earn a living wage.  The council shall submit the report every other year                                
31 to the governor and to the legislature, in years alternating with the Governor's                                        

01 Coordination and Special Services Plan.