Bill Text: HI SR208 | 2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requesting Various State Government Entities To Take Certain Actions To Effectively Leverage Educational Resources In The State To Ensure Career Readiness Workforce Development.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-06-06 - Certified copies of resolutions sent, 06/06/22. [SR208 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-SR208-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
208 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING VARIOUS STATE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS TO EFFECTIVELY LEVERAGE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN THE STATE TO ENSURE CAREER READINESS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WHEREAS, the State is experiencing a significant shortage of workers in all sectors, including agriculture and health care-related fields for a myriad of reasons such as faculty shortages, decreased funding, and limited educational opportunities; and
WHEREAS, interdisciplinary learning experiences are critically needed to prepare students to address the challenges the State faces in both agriculture and health care; and
WHEREAS, supplemental opportunities to education such as career development, apprenticeships, internships, practicum experiences, and dual enrollment for high school students creates an educated and trained population to enter Hawaii's workforce; and
WHEREAS, the State has a responsibility to fill workforce vacancies that support regional economic needs and local industries; and
WHEREAS, the State has an additional responsibility to fully utilize its resources such as funding, the workforce population, and specialized programs to address the State's long-term growth; and
WHEREAS, the imbalance of educational and career training opportunities, in addition to the under-utilization of funds and inaction in addressing systemic problems within the education sector, creates additional challenges to achieve an educated, trained population to meet Hawaii's workforce demands; and
WHEREAS, nursing demands in the State have increased significantly, which is further exacerbated by a dire statewide nursing shortage; and
WHEREAS, nursing vacancies have a negative effect on patient access, quality of care, and nurses' morale; and
WHEREAS, Kalihi, which encompasses the surrounding neighborhoods of Iwilei, Palama, and Liliha, has a large number of Oahu's most vulnerable populations including individuals with chronic health conditions and individuals experiencing homelessness; and
WHEREAS, vulnerable populations within Kalihi and the surrounding area are more prone to developing health problems such as diseases of the extremities and skin disorders, and face an increased risk of physical assault or sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, there are insufficient qualified health care professionals, including nurses, in Kalihi to address and fulfill physical and mental health care needs for individuals with chronic health conditions or experiencing homelessness; and
WHEREAS, numerous licensed assisted living homes, including Level 1 adult residential care homes, community care foster family homes and long-term care facilities, operate in Kalihi and the surrounding neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, currently, Kapiolani Community College offers the only community college-level nursing program within urban Honolulu; and
WHEREAS, a 2017 study published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science found that medicine rotations in inner-city areas did not impact health care providers' attitudes towards individuals with chronic health conditions or experiencing homelessness; and
WHEREAS, providing students from Kalihi and the surrounding neighborhoods with opportunities to participate in rotations with health care providers in the area may address vacancies in the ongoing nursing shortage, offer students educational and professional opportunities closer to home, and allow students to work closely with community partners experiencing critical needs to support vulnerable populations; and
WHEREAS, the ability to empathize and understand the needs of vulnerable individuals undergoing treatment creates opportunities to understand the complexity of providing medical care, improves cross-cultural communication skills, and provides a stronger network of health care providers with a unique understanding of the community; and
WHEREAS, developing a nursing program within Honolulu Community College may also motivate students to pursue education beyond a community college-level education, which may lead to an increase of highly skilled nurses in the State; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education is a statewide partnership led by the Executive Office on Early Learning, Department of Education, and University of Hawaii System; and
WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved a merger between the Office of the State Director for Career and Technical Education and Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education; and
WHEREAS, it is unclear how much engagement, oversight, and direction the University of Hawaii Board of Regents and Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy provide Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education; and
WHEREAS, since its inception in 2003, Hawaii P-20 Partnership for Education has grown to comprise a permanent office with thirty staff members, an advisory council of approximately thirty members, and a statewide portfolio of programs supported by an annual operating budget of approximately $6,500,000; and
WHEREAS, the State offers many other college and career readiness workforce development training programs, including Early College, Jump Start, Hawaii Nutrition Employment and Training, Career and Technical Education, Rapid Response services, Oahu Back to Work, Perkins V, Hana Career Pathways, the Workforce Resiliency Initiative, and Vocational and Applied Technology; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has received numerous requests to fund college and career readiness workforce development training programs that do not coordinate and have seemingly no alignment with statewide goals, objectives, shared metrics, and initiatives; and
WHEREAS, there may be opportunities to more efficiently address the State's workforce vacancies and regional economic development needs by consolidating, collaborating, and creating cohesion between the programs offered by various state offices, including the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Education; Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; and University of Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources recently amended its funding formula to exclude interdisciplinary graduate students, reducing the funding allocation for the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology by thirty percent; and
WHEREAS, due to these budget cuts, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has reportedly de-emphasized the use of hands-on learning in teaching fundamental molecular biosciences research; and
WHEREAS, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has also offered fewer opportunities for Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology students to have interdisciplinary learning experiences with mentors in the College and John A. Burns School of Medicine; and
WHEREAS, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has failed to review renewals of probationary faculty positions holistically based on teaching evaluations, publications, and the receipt of extramural funding; and
WHEREAS, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources leadership has not followed through on promises to create faculty positions to assist with filling vacancies in areas of vital concern to the State, including positions in wastewater management and bioremediation; and
WHEREAS, the Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has approved leave without pay for faculty members to pursue administrative positions at international universities, in violation of University of Hawaii Board of Regents policies and the collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Regents and University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; and
WHEREAS, the Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has reportedly been made aware of persistent financial, personal, and professional conflicts of interest in the management of various units within the College and has failed to resolve these conflicts or remove department chairs having conflicts of interest; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that various state government entities are requested to take certain actions to effectively leverage educational resources in the State to ensure career readiness workforce development; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that:
(1) The University of Hawaii is requested to:
(A) Examine the feasibility of offering a nursing program, allied health program, or both at Honolulu Community College provided by Honolulu Community College or in coordination with the other University of Hawaii Community Colleges, to meet regional workforce needs;
(B) Identify University of Hawaii workforce development training programs, including P-20, that prepare residents for employment in Hawaii; actions to improve alignment of programs with state and county workforce development and University of Hawaii strategic plans; and key performance metrics for University of Hawaii's workforce development training programs, including but not limited to, alignment to statewide energy and food security goals pursuant to section 269-92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, regional economic opportunities as described in the Hawaii Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy; facilities; and coordination to existing workforce development training programs both within the University of Hawaii System and across the State; and
(C) Submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and
(2) The Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to:
(A) Identify cooperative extension agencies similar to the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources across the nation; and
(B) Submit a report evaluating the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and its leadership, including the Legislative Reference Bureau's comparative analysis of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to similar cooperative extension agencies across the nation, and recommendations to better align the mission of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources with statewide food security goals pursuant to Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Comptroller, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, Chairperson of the Workforce Development Council, Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, President of the University of Hawaii System, Vice President for Community Colleges of the University of Hawaii, Chancellor of Honolulu Community College, Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, State Director of United Public Workers, and Chairperson of the Kalihi-Palama Neighborhood Board.
University of Hawaii; Honolulu Community College; Nursing Program; Hawaii P-20; College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Audit; Feasibility; Report
