Senate OKs plan to extend, improve state job-training program
Jobs program set to expire by end of 2012
SACRAMENTO – To help create jobs, the California Senate late Thursday approved a plan by Sen. Ted W. Lieu that would improve ways to create a workforce that meets the needs of employers.
As the challenges continue for our economy, it is important to focus on a sector strategy approach that emphasizes California's competitive advantages” Lieu, D-Torrance, said about the need to extend the California Community College’s Economic and Workforce Development Program, set to expire at the end of 2012. “It is crucial now more than ever that every dollar be invested in high-quality employment services that connect workers with good paying jobs.”
As written, Lieu’s Senate Bill 1402 would extend the EWD program to Jan. 1, 2018 and improve its operations in three primary ways by:
• Making the program more nimble and better able to respond to changing economic conditions.
• Making the program more accountable for investments and performance by strengthening the evaluation framework for EWD grants and programs.
• Encouraging better integration and communication of EWD programs with CTE programs.
“For years, community colleges have been leading the way in preparing our current and future workers to meet the needs of our new and changing global market,” Lieu said. “To continue that good work, we must place higher standards on investments of California’s limited dollars to ensure the best results.”
SB 1402 is co-sponsored by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and the California Community College Association for Occupational Education.
For more, including a Fact Sheet on SB 1402, please visit Lieu’s Web site at the address below.
Ted W. Lieu chairs the Senate Labor Committee and represents nearly 1 million residents of Senate District 28, which includes the cities of Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance, as well as portions of Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Pedro. For more, visit www.senate.ca.gov/lieu
