Report Title:

Workforce Development; Services for Freely Associated States

Description:

Requires Leeward community college to establish a program to provide cultural education and integration, language, employment, training, and legal services for Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan immigrants in Hawaii in order to assist them in becoming gainfully employed members of the community. Requires the office of continuing education at Leeward community college to fund the program through appropriations made to Hawaii pursuant to the Compact of Free Association Amendments of 2003, P.L. 108-188, 11 Stat. 2027. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

214

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to Workforce Development.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

Section 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii attracts migrating citizens from the Freely Associated States (FAS)—the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau — seeking education, health, and economic advancement for themselves and their families. However, currently, we are ill-equipped to facilitate their assimilation into our community. In the past few years there have been a growing number of FAS students enrolling in Hawaii's public schools who face numerous challenges due to cultural differences, including language barriers. These students lack not only the language skills, but also the cultural awareness necessary to survive, let alone excel, in their new environment.

The legislature further finds that it is incumbent upon the community to assist these FAS citizens residing in Hawaii so as to decrease the likelihood of their need to rely upon public assistance in the future. Providing the FAS communities with comprehensive services that encompass cultural education and integration is vital to the development of an educated and productive workforce within these communities. Consequently, the provision of assimilation services now, in conjunction with educational and employment training services, can in turn increase their ability to become contributory members of the community, thereby stimulating the State's economy through their employment and payment of taxes.

The legislature determines that certain areas of Oahu have experienced significant increases in their FAS citizen populations, particularly in Waipahu and Kalihi. At Waipahu Elementary School, the English as a Second Language (ESL) program comprises over forty per cent of the school's total student population, which is one of the largest ESL programs in the Leeward district. In the past three years, they have received dramatic increases in the number of Marshallese and Chuukese students participating in the ESL program, evidenced through an increase of from twenty to one hundred and eleven Marshallese students and zero to fifty-two Chuukese students.

Furthermore, assisting these communities is challenging in that, due to cultural difference and a lack of cultural awareness, members of the FAS communities are often unwilling to immediately trust and accept services from individuals and organizations within the larger community. Thus, the need to tap into either existing organizations with established relationships with the FAS communities or existing methods or approaches for successfully servicing the FAS communities is essential in effectively assimilating, educating, and preparing FAS community members for gainful employment within the State.

The legislature also determines that the University of Hawaii, including the community college system, is dedicated to the betterment of all diverse ethnic populations in Hawaii. As part of the community college system, Leeward community college (LCC) is an educational institution that is sensitive to cultural awareness and education and is also dedicated to offering quality workforce programs. As such, LCC is an ideal candidate for shepherding a workforce program to provide comprehensive services to the FAS communities.

SECTION 2. The purpose of this Act is to require Leeward community college to develop a program for the provision of services to FAS students to ensure their success in school, as well as the Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan communities at large, through cultural education and integration, language, employment, training, and legal services, that may include but are not limited to services to:

(1) Ensure that students from the Freely Associated States are equipped with the necessary tools and skills to achieve success in school;

(2) Develop a comprehensive multi-disciplinary family strengthening system for immigrants from the Freely Associated States;

(3) Address issues of assimilation through the promotion of cultural coherence and self-identification;

(4) Provide employment and training instruction to assist with job readiness, job placement, and job retention, which shall include but not be limited to:

(A) Basic educational skills training;

(B) Occupational skills training;

(C) English as a second language training; and

(D) Mentoring;

(5) Provide for the training of service-providing professionals which encompasses a holistic approach to problem solving and instruction on cultural awareness and sensitivity of the several Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan cultures; and

(6) Collect and disseminate information regarding successful methods of servicing immigrants from the Freely Associated States in the form of written documentation, oral or video presentations, or by means of any other appropriate medium.

The office of continuing education at Leeward community college shall oversee and administer the program through the provision of grants to service providers for these services. In administering the grants to providers for the performance of these services, the office of continuing education shall require that organizations demonstrate documented prior experience and a successful track record in servicing the Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan communities, as a condition to participation in the grant application process.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the $11,551,277 appropriated to the State by the federal government pursuant to section 104(e) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003, P.L. 108-188, 11 Stat. 2027, the sum of $1,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, to the office of continuing education at Leeward community college for the establishment of pilot programs in Waipahu and Kalihi to service the Micronesian, Marshallese, and Palauan communities.

SECTION 4. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. Leeward community college shall submit a report to the legislature indicating the utilization of Compact-impact funds and services upon which such funds were expended not less than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2005.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.