House Bill 1002 (Career and Technical Education Matters), authored by Rep. Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville), was heard in the Senate Education and Career Development Committee this week. The measure takes various approaches aimed at educating more Hoosiers in the jobs demanded by today’s employers. The Chamber’s Jason Bearce testified, “If students take one of the two courses presented in this bill, it can help them begin to gain the relevant competencies that are both valued by employers and also linked to good jobs. The second area in the bill involves the Next Level Jobs grants; this bill would increase state support for both the workforce ready grant and the employer training grant. Both really put Indiana on a much better path to 1) help employers to skill up their existing workforce and 2) to provide individuals with credentials that give them currency for those high wage jobs.” This legislation is so critical because of talent concerns and the jobs Hoosier employers are leaving open due to a lack of qualified workers. And the problem is only getting worse, as indicated by our annual survey of employers.
House Bill 1005 (State Superintendent of Public Instruction), authored by Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis), was voted out of the Senate Education and Career Development Committee 5-2 on Wednesday. This bill would move up the date for making the state superintendent an appointed position from 2025 to 2021. The bill now appears fast-tracked for a full Senate vote.
Resource: Jason Bearce at (317) 264-6880 or email: jbearce@indianachamber.com
