STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2137

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2826

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2826 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a career development success program to provide financial incentives for participating public high schools to encourage students enrolled in grades nine through twelve to enroll in and successfully complete qualified industry-credential programs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter Schools Commission, HawaiiKidsCAN, Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the majority of jobs today require some form of post-secondary credentials. Your Committee further finds that industry-recognized credentials are important because they teach the specific knowledge and skills that are required for an occupation or industry. Full-time employees with industry credentials earn more than their uncredentialed counterparts, and, in some cases, the salaries of credential holders who do not hold college degrees are similar to the salaries of college graduates. To this end, the Promising Credentials project, a collaborative effort aimed at using Hawaii labor market data and local employer insights to identify high-value industry credentials in the State, has identified one hundred thirty-seven credentials that are associated with two hundred seventy-four in-demand, living-wage occupations throughout the State.

Accordingly, this measure will promote and encourage the attainment of qualified industry-credential programs and help Hawaii's students transition into, and succeed within, the workforce.

Your Committee has amended this measure by defining certain terms.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2826, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2826, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair