Legislature(2013 - 2014)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
01/29/2013 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing: Commissioner, Department of Labor and Workforce Development | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
January 29, 2013
1:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Chair
Senator Peter Micciche, Vice Chair
Senator Donald Olson
Senator Johnny Ellis
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Bert Stedman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING
Commissioner, Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Dianne Blumer
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
DIANNE BLUMER, Commissioner
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the position of
commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:31:54 PM
CHAIR MIKE DUNLEAVY called the Senate Labor and Commerce
Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:31 p.m. Present at the
call to order were Senators Micciche, Olson, and Chair Dunleavy.
^Confirmation Hearing: Commissioner, Department of Labor and
Workforce Development
CONFIRMATION HEARING
Commissioner, Department of Labor and Workforce Development
1:32:17 PM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced the business before the committee was a
confirmation hearing. He asked Commissioner Blumer to tell the
committee about herself and her qualifications to serve as
commissioner.
1:32:34 PM
DIANNE BLUMER, Commissioner, Department of Labor and Workforce
Development, said she was born and raised in Southeast, and
started working for the State of Alaska in 1991. She described
leadership positions she held as director of the Division of
Personnel and Labor Relations and deputy director of the Child
Support Services Division. As special assistant to the governor,
she advised Governor Parnell on regulation and policy for the
departments of Administration, Revenue, and Commerce, Community
and Economic Development. In May 2012, she was appointed
commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development (DOLWD).
1:32:57 PM
SENATOR ELLIS joined the committee.
SENATOR MICCICHE thanked Commissioner Blumer for her responsive
efforts to encourage Alaskan hire.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY asked Commissioner Blumer to discuss her plans
and visions for the department going forward.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER said the primary goal was to maintain a low
unemployment rate. The current rate is about 6.6 percent and it
could be lower since there is continuing workforce demand.
Another goal was to improve outreach to all areas of Alaska to
advertise the opportunities that DOLWD has to offer and get
residents ready for jobs that are coming.
1:37:03 PM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY asked how her extensive background in labor
relations and human resources would benefit her as commissioner
and the department she would oversee.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER explained that when she was advocating for
management and organizations she learned the importance of
balance and not having preconceived notions. Those principles
will be beneficial moving forward in the role of commissioner,
she said.
1:38:08 PM
SENATOR ELLIS discussed the common complaint about the high
percentage of non-Alaskans working in the oil fields on the
North Slope. He asked Commissioner Blumer to discuss the numbers
generally, the trends, and her efforts to increase the number of
Alaskans in those good jobs on the North Slope.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER said she did not have specific data because
the residency report would not be ready for release until the
31st, but the draft she'd seen indicated a slight increase in
non-Alaskan hire. She expressed concern about the increase and
assured the committee that DOLWD continued to look at ways to
train local Alaskans for North Slope jobs. She specifically
mentioned the core drilling training program with the University
of Alaska Mining and Petroleum Training Service (MAPTS) on the
Kenai Peninsula, which is committed to training students for
careers that require advanced skills. She expressed hope and
optimism that trained Alaskans would take those jobs, stay in
the state, and increase the Alaskan-hire rates.
She said the mining industry provides other potential
opportunities for local Alaskans. She described the successful
mine simulator program in Juneau that has industry input and job
placement from both Greens Creek and Kensington mines. If that
program can be mobilized to areas in rural Alaska, local
Alaskans could potentially be trained for mining jobs.
"Hopefully we can use that model to address the issues on the
Slope as well," she said.
SENATOR ELLIS requested that once the residency report was
released that the committee invite Commissioner Blumer back to
continue the conversation about what the data shows and plans
moving forward. He asked if it was a policy of DOLWD to take the
"Big Three" on the North Slope at their word that they would
hire Alaskans if they were trained. He further asked if it was
the policy of the administration to train Alaskans for specific
North Slope jobs so that Alaskans would fill positions when they
become available. "Is that what your training is focused on," he
asked.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER confirmed that the primary focus was to put
Alaskans in those jobs.
SENATOR ELLIS asked if she would be willing to return and
continue the dialog about Alaskan hire numbers and trends.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER said yes.
1:43:32 PM
SENATOR OLSON asked what her plans were within DOLWD to get
ready for the anticipated gas pipeline project, and which
project she favored.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER explained that the Alaska Workforce
Investment Board developed an oil and gas pipeline training plan
that identified 113 occupational job classes that would be
needed when pipeline construction occurs. Registered
apprenticeship programs and Alaska work partnership programs
were currently providing training to meet those occupational
codes. DOLWD was committed to work with any company that meets
any of those occupational codes to help with on-the-job or other
training. She allowed that it would be a challenge for DOLWD to
meet the employment demands over the next several years, but it
was up to the task. She declined to voice her personal opinions
about any particular project.
SENATOR OLSON asked about efforts to further the rural
workforce.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER described a "Youth First" program in Emmonak
to employ students in the Yukon Delta Fisheries Development
Association processing plant. Since the program was implemented,
youth crime rates and school dropout rates have declined. DOLWD
is also reaching out to regional training centers and working
more closely with ARDORS to assess needs and focus training
regionally.
SENATOR OLSON mentioned throughput decline and projected revenue
declines, and asked how she planed to protect the funding
streams for skilled workforce training programs so that Alaskans
could continue to be trained for North Slope jobs.
1:50:06 PM
COMMISSIONER BLUMER responded that she would look for
efficiencies internally, allow regional training centers and
ARDORS to be the "boots on the ground" to help determine what
training is needed in a particular region, and streamline the
training to simplify the process. She admitted it was a
challenge and that she and the department would continue to work
on it.
SENATOR ELLIS noted that there had been some money in the
capital budget for film and television production and that he
was pleased with DOLWD's performance to date to get those
workforce-training funds on the street so qualified Alaskans
could be hired for those lucrative, creative economy jobs. He
asked for an update.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER explained that just over half of the
legislative appropriation was used to issue grants to training
providers that specialize in film and television training
programs and curricula, and just under half was budget for
Individual Training Accounts (ITA). She acknowledged that there
were not a lot of people that were ready to do ITA training in
Alaska, so it was more of a start-up grant program. The training
provider grantees have developed the following programs: Talking
Circle Media, Alaska Crew Training (Act I), Affinityfilms, Inc.,
KPU Telecommunications, and University of Alaska Fairbanks, Film
Program. She said the outcomes wouldn't be available until after
June 30, but DOLWD was pleased with the progress to date.
1:55:06 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE expressed hope that Commissioner Blumer would
make it a priority to incentivize local Alaskan hire, not
temporary Alaskans. "I think it is a key priority for everyone
in one of these seats that we see our Alaskan brothers working
and we disincentivize those that are hiring folks from somewhere
else. We're open to any ideas you have on how we can create
legislation that encourages a greater percentage of Alaskan
hire," he stated.
COMMISSIONER BLUMER said she looked forward to working with him
on that issue.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY found no further questions or public testimony
and asked for a motion.
1:57:15 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to advance the name Dianne Blumer to the
joint session for consideration with the understanding that it
did not reflect intent by any member to vote for or against the
confirmation of the individual.
CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced that without objection, the name Diane
Blumer would be advanced to the joint body for consideration.
1:57:49 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Dunleavy adjourned the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting at 1:57 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner DOLWD - Blumer #2.pdf |
SL&C 1/29/2013 1:30:00 PM |
Confirmation Hearing DOL |