Date: 01/28/2013

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB13-1005

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Adopt Amendment L.001 (Attachment B). The motion p
Adopt Amendment L.002 (Attachment C). The motion p
Refer House Bill 13-1005, as amended, to the Commi		Pass Without Objection
Pass Without Objection
PASS




01:31 PM -- House Bill 13-1005

Representative Hamner, Chair, called the meeting to order and welcomed the members of the committee and the audience. She invited Representative Fields and Representative Buckner to the table to present House Bill 13-1005. The bill, which concerns postsecondary certificate programs that combine basic education course work with skills training, requires the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE) to design new certificate programs to allow certain unemployed or underemployed adults to obtain a career and technical education certificate in 12 months or less. The certificate programs will be offered as a pilot program, and are intended to integrate information and math literacy development with career and technical training.

The bill, as introduced, requires that SBCCOE design at least 20 certificate programs; the first 10 must be available by the fall semester of the 2013 academic year, and 10 more must be available by the next academic year. The SBCCOE may consult with local district junior colleges, area vocational schools, local workforce development councils, and the appropriate staff at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), when developing the certificate programs. Each program must be jointly designed by mathematics, English, and career and technical education faculty.

Community colleges, technical colleges, local district junior colleges, and other workforce development programs may participate in the pilot program by implementing one or more of the certificate programs. If implemented, the institutions are required to report participation information to the Department of Higher Education (DHE). The pilot program is repealed July 1, 2018.

Representative Fields explained that the bill attempts to provide additional postsecondary training for currently unemployed or underemployed people so that they can upgrade their skills and be competitive in the job market. She added that the bill was recommended by the Educational Success Task Force, a legislative interim committee.

The following persons testified:

01:35 PM -- Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst, The Bell Policy Center, testified in support of the bill. He provided a handout to the members of the committee (Attachment A). Mr. Waterous provided a brief background of The Bell Policy Center. He stated that the center supports the innovative, collaborative, and integrative program that the legislation brings forward. He stated that the program in the bill is modeled after a program in Washington state, the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. He said that the bill is helpful to Colorado employers who want to fill middle skill jobs, and that it addresses education and workforce issues faced by the state. He stated that currently, Colorado provides no state funding for adult education programs and that there is a substantial middle skills gap in the state. He discussed a report published for the Skills to Compete Colorado Campaign. He said that the program has been highly successful in other states in helping low literacy adults obtain the credentials that they need in order to earn a living wage. He added that the program will help bolster Colorado's economic growth. He thanked the members of the Educational Success Task Force for recommending the legislation.

13HseEd0128AttachA.pdf13HseEd0128AttachA.pdf

01:43 PM -- Jeff Barratt, Executive Director of Emily Griffith Technical College, testified in support of the bill. He stated that he agrees with Mr. Waterous' testimony and sees the need for technical training in Colorado's workforce, which Emily Griffith provides. He stated that this bill is a creative way to serve students and that it advances the mission of Emily Griffith Technical College.


01:44 PM

Representative Murray asked Mr. Barratt what collaboration with other schools looks like to him. Mr. Barratt responded that collaboration will create more efficient pathways for students. Representative Peniston thanked Mr. Barratt for his work.

01:46 PM -- Dr. Geri Anderson, Vice President of Academic and Student Services and Provost, Colorado Community College System, and Co-Chair of the Educational Success Task Force, testified in support of the bill. She discussed the work of the Educational Success Task Force and stated that the bill responds to the need to educate those who have low skills. She stated that without this bill, students are currently not able to enter into postsecondary course work until they have acquired the needed basic skills, and that this bill allows students to combine those basic skills courses with technical training courses.


01:48 PM

Representative Holbert asked Dr. Anderson how she classifies who is considered to be underemployed. Dr. Anderson responded.

01:50 PM -- Tracey Stewart, representing the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Stewart stated that the program will engage students to move forward and increase their economic returns. She stated that in the U.S., a single adult needs to make about $25,000 to make ends meet, and that people who are underemployed are those who cannot make ends meet. She said that this bill takes workers who are underemployed and puts them into the 6 out of 10 jobs in Colorado that need middle skilled workers. She added that this is a potential poverty reduction bill for Colorado and will lead to economic efficiency.


01:52 PM

Representative Landgraf asked why legislation is needed in order to accomplish this. Dr. Anderson returned to the table, and stated that Colorado's current developmental education policy does not allow students to enter post secondary education without first meeting higher education institutions' basic skills and standards. This bill, she explained, allows students to enter into technical programs without having to go through the developmental sequence. Dr. Anderson added that the reason community colleges, technical colleges, and area vocational schools are providing the certificates is because they are accredited institutions.


01:56 PM

Representative Holbert thanked Dr. Anderson for her expertise. Representative Fields distributed Amendment L.001 (Attachment B) and Amendment L.002 (Attachment C). She explained the amendments to the committee.

13HseEd0128AttachB.pdf13HseEd0128AttachB.pdf 13HseEd0128AttachC.pdf13HseEd0128AttachC.pdf
BILL:HB13-1005
TIME: 01:58:07 PM
MOVED:Fields
MOTION:Adopt Amendment L.001 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Court
VOTE
Buckner
Court
Everett
Fields
Holbert
Landgraf
Murray
Pettersen
Priola
Wilson
Young
Peniston
Hamner
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

BILL:HB13-1005
TIME: 02:00:02 PM
MOVED:Fields
MOTION:Adopt Amendment L.002 (Attachment C). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Court
VOTE
Buckner
Court
Everett
Fields
Holbert
Landgraf
Murray
Pettersen
Priola
Wilson
Young
Peniston
Hamner
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:HB13-1005
TIME: 02:00:39 PM
MOVED:Fields
MOTION:Refer House Bill 13-1005, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 12-1.
SECONDED:Murray
VOTE
Buckner
Yes
Court
Yes
Everett
No
Fields
Yes
Holbert
Yes
Landgraf
Yes
Murray
Yes
Pettersen
Yes
Priola
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Young
Yes
Peniston
Yes
Hamner
Yes
Final YES: 12 NO: 1 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS