HB 1515, SB 366 and SB 448 / Chamber Supports
Legislative committees have wasted no time with the start of session moving forward on several significant education and workforce initiatives, including deregulation, training and credentials, expanding pre-K capacity and more.
The Chamber testified last week in support of authorizing charter schools to be eligible to access STEM teacher recruitment grants through House Bill 1515, authored by Rep. Robert Behning (R-Indianapolis). We also advocated for removing unnecessary regulations for pre-K childcare programs in public and charter schools to promote more pre-K capacity building in existing schools to meet family needs via Senate Bill 366, authored by Sen. Linda Rogers (R-Granger).
We also testified in favor of Senate Bill 448, authored by Sen. Greg Goode (R-Terre Haute). This is significant legislation aimed at energizing and aligning higher education, training and workforce development needs to drive Indiana’s economic competitiveness. The bill will empower the Commission of Higher Education with an expanded role in aligning training, data collection and planning, as well as require the Department of Education to develop a plan for market driven, stackable credentials in three primary employment sectors.
The Chamber’s testimony on SB 448 raised the importance of determining and aligning training and credential programs with the actual needs of employers filling current and future jobs in this rapidly changing economy.
