SENATE BILL NO. 65 "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; and providing for an effective date." 9:06:00 AM Co-Chair von Imhof noted that the bill had one section. 9:06:09 AM TAMIKA LEDBETTER, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, spoke from prepared talking points (copy on file): Good Morning Madame/Mister Chair and members of the Senate Finance Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and to present for your consideration of Senate Bill 65. at the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, connecting Alaskans to the job opportunities in our state is a primary focus of our work. Our goal is to reach more young Alaskans and to connect them with training that will lead to family-wage job opportunities in their home regions. Whether those individuals live in coastal Alaska or the interior, we are working to identify partnerships with employers and training organizations that will best prepare Alaskans for these opportunities. • Senate Bill 65 adds language in Title 44 directing the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to coordinate and monitor state career and technical education programs. This will be accomplished in collaboration with the Department of Education and Early Development, the University of Alaska, and other entities that provide career and technical training. • Federal legislation governing the use of Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding, as well as Carl Perkins career and technical education funding requires agency coordination and collaboration. The specific language in this bill formalizes that requirement. • The Department of Labor and Workforce Development works to provide job seekers and workers with high quality training, education and career services. This is a central focus of our mission. • The department also helps employers find skilled workers and identifies education and training opportunities for their current workforce. • The Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB) located in the Commissioners office is the lead state planning and coordinating entity for human resource programs in the state. Members represent a diverse dross-section of business and educational partners. • In 2010, the AWIB worked in cooperation with the Department of Education and Early Development and the University of Alaska to develop the 2010 Alaska Career and Technical Education (CTE) Plan witch called for strategies to improve Career and Technical Education and prepare Alaskans with required 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 2018 Addendum to the Alaska Career and Technical Education (CTE) Plan to reenergize the conversation around CTE, reexamine CTE Plan strategies, and help ensure that our broad spectrum of education and training opportunities are communicated to Alaskans. • A CTE Coordinator located within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development works to implement these CTE Plan strategies. • AVTEC the Alaska Vocational Tech Education Center - is the premiere state training school for customized trainings directed at specific employers, and longer-term trainings averaging 9 months in duration in maritime, applied technology, culinary arts, energy and building technology, and information technology. • Another key role that the Department of Labor plays in the dissemination of career and technical training funds thorough, STEP, TVEP and many federal grant programs. • Senate Bill 65 formalized the role of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development as the lead agency in coordinating and monitoring state career and technical education. 9:11:11 AM Co-Chair von Imhof wondered they the role needed to be formalized in statute if programs were already monitored under the CTE Plan. 9:11:25 AM Commissioner Ledbetter replied that the legislation offered more structure to the process and gave the department more of a leadership role in ensuring that technical education was properly coordinated and monitored across the state. Co-Chair von Imhof thought that the formalization was unnecessary but deferred to the department's judgement that it would give the department the teeth to work with the federal government for federal grant funding. 9:12:42 AM Senator Shower wondered who previously performed the duty of coordinating and monitoring state career and technical education. Commissioner Ledbetter replied that AWIB had monitored career and technical education. 9:13:51 AM Senator Olson pointed to the fiscal note, which showed zero from 2021 through 2025. He wondered how confident the department was that the program would continue without additional funding. 9:13:57 AM Commissioner Ledbetter replied that she was very confident. Senator Olson asked where future funding would be found. Commissioner Ledbetter replied that the program was already underway and urged the passing of the legislation so that the department could have a more formalized role. 9:14:48 AM Co-Chair von Imhof asked whether the bill would have a fiscal impact to the state. 9:15:03 AM Commissioner Ledbetter agreed to provide that information. 9:15:11 AM Senator Shower asked whether vacant PCNs had been used for the hiring of the new Career and Technical Education Coordinator. Commissioner Ledbetter said that the position had already been filled. 9:15:42 AM Co-Chair von Imhof OPENED public testimony. 9:16:15 AM JOEY CRUM, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NORTHERN INDUSTRIAL TEACHING, PALMER (via teleconference), spoke in support of the legislation. 9:18:28 AM LOUISE DEAN, DIRECTOR, ALASKA WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD (via teleconference), was available for questions. 9:18:45 AM VIKKI JO KENNEDY, SELF, KODIAK (via teleconference), spoke in support of the bill. 9:19:46 AM Co-Chair von Imhof CLOSED public testimony. SB 65 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration.