SCR122 SD1

WHEREAS, there are more than four thousand vacant positions within state government under the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Resources Development; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the State to encourage the Department of Human Resources Development to identify, address, and remove known barriers to filling vacant positions; and

WHEREAS, it is also in the best interest of the State to fill these vacant positions with qualified individuals, as doing so will:

(1) Directly and positively impact the availability and quality of customer service provided to the public through state agencies; and

(2) Provide stable careers with steady income to the people of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Department of Human Resources Development to periodically review and verify the applicability of the qualifications required for these vacant positions; and

WHEREAS, the classification and compensation review process is labor intensive and requires considerable expertise and skill by trained human resources individuals; and

WHEREAS, there may be innovative and creative ways to fill some of the vacant positions, including educating the public regarding alterative pathways to meeting the education and experience requirements for civil service positions; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, in partnership with the University of Hawaii Honolulu Community College, offers apprenticeship programs that prepare participants to enter and advance in various trades; and

WHEREAS, apprenticeship programs:

(1) Provide a participant on-the-job learning and development of technical and nontechnical skills and proficiencies applicable to today's workplace and necessary for the participant's future occupation;

(2) Evaluate the apprentice's acquisition of skills based upon a specified number of hours of on-the-job learning and the successful demonstration of competency, as described in the work process schedule; and

(3) Upon satisfactory completion, may lead to an associate degree or certificate of completion; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Human Resources Development is urged to examine the reasons for the high rate of vacant state positions and explore solutions for filling the vacancies, including reexamining the minimum qualification requirements for those positions and educating the public and, in particular, potential workers on alternative pathways to meet the minimum qualification requirements for civil service positions, including apprenticeship programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Resources Development, in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, is urged to consider and determine whether the completion of an apprenticeship program would adequately equip an individual with the skills and knowledge necessary for state employment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Resources Development is requested to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2024; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Human Resources Development, and Director of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Report Title:

Department of Human Resources Development; State Government Vacancies; Minimum Qualifications; Apprenticeship Programs; Report

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	122
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII