STAND. COM. REP. NO. 346

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1242

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1242 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MILLENNIUM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to continue the Millennium Workforce Development Training Program.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and numerous organizations and a student who participates in the program.

Your Committee finds that the purpose of the Millennium Workforce Development Training Program is to improve the skills of new and existing workers for jobs in new and emerging technology industries. These industries must often import their workers because the State's existing workforce lacks the necessary skills.

Your Committee also finds that the continuation of a state-funded training program would lessen the need to import workers in such fields as biotechnology, health care, information technology, environmental science and technology, and telecommunications. It would also increase the opportunities for Hawaii's residents to move upward in the job market by improving their skills.

Your Committee has amended the measure by inserting $1 as the appropriated amount for each fiscal year.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1242, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1242, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor,

____________________________

BOB NAKATA, Chair