Career Technical Education

Whereas occupational and liberal arts education programs are valid and well documented avenues to meaningful unsubsidized employment and career development, and

Whereas CalWORKs students frequently have learning deficiencies and may not have previously taken any college coursework, and

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges unanimously passed a resolution in Fall 1997 to pursue legislation allowing TANF recipients to receive three hours of work credit for each hour of classroom time, following federal law regarding Carnegie unit requirements,

Whereas the CalWORKs program has now been in place for three years but is still not fully integrated into the individual colleges, and

Whereas faculty are not sufficiently involved in curriculum development decisions involving CalWORKs students, and

Whereas instructional and student service faculty are not involved in budget development in CalWORKs programs at the local colleges,

Resolved that the Academic Senate be identified as a primary resource for instructional development in the CalWORKs program, and

Whereas the California State Plan for Vocational and Technical Education states that "faculty selected by local academic senates" are included in the membership of Regional Consortia, and

Whereas Regional Consortia meetings have been organized primarily as dean's meetings, and

Whereas faculty appointed through the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges are provided with background materials and resolutions relevant to topics likely to be addressed,

Whereas the Vocational Education Statewide Advisory Committees have successfully provided leadership in curriculum and staff development for California community college agriculture, business, health, home economics, and trade and technology education, and public safety, and

Whereas the Statewide Vocational Education Advisory Committees are an important link in fostering dialogue among the Chancellor's Office, the business community, and vocational educators to provide relevant educational experiences, and

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has a standing occupation education committee, and

Whereas there are multiple special funds for vocational education such as VTEA, Economic Development, WIA, etc., provided to community colleges, and

Whereas the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has primary responsibilities for the development of curriculum, including vocational education programs, skills certificates courses, TANF and CalWORKs courses, and

Whereas delivery of courses and curriculum rests with faculty,

Whereas the Barbering and Cosmetology Program is the sole California State entity that provides licensure to barbering and cosmetology students, and

Whereas the Barbering and Cosmetology Program has been responsible for providing information and forming regulations, conducting examinations, and distributing health and safety literature, and

Whereas in fiscal years 1996-97 and 1997-98 the Barbering and Cosmetology Program only received funding on a temporary one-year basis and in fiscal year 1998-99 did not receive any funding for the above responsibilities,

Whereas the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 replaces the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and requires establishment of a state Workforce Investment Board to replace the State Job Training Coordinating Council (SJTCC), and

Whereas the Regional Workforce Partnership and Economic Development Act (RWPEDA) required the development of an integrated workforce development plan, and

Whereas it is critical that occupational education programs have up-to-date equipment in order to credibly address the educational needs of occupational students, and

Whereas currently occupational programs do not have a guaranteed adequate and stable source of equipment funding devoted to ensuring that such programs are adequately equipped, and

Whereas instructional equipment funding has historically not been adequate to purchase, maintain, replace or upgrade the more costly equipment needed by most occupational programs, and

Whereas the legislation establishing the ED>Net Executive Committee et al. sunsets June 3, 1999, triggering new legislation to reauthorize the existence and duties of Executive Committee, which consists of a majority of ten college CEOs, small business representatives and one Academic Senate representative, and

Whereas the ED>Net initiatives are determined by the ED>Net Executive Committee and $33 million of Proposition 98 money is used to fund these initiatives through a competitive process, and

Whereas many companies do not offer basic instruction necessary to job performance, and

Whereas business and industry have knowledge of needed specific job skills,

Resolved that the Academic Senate support public and private partnerships in which educators are recognized for their expertise in learning methods and knowledge needed to obtain and hold employment, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate promote expansion of methods to provide significant private sector participation on all appropriate state and local advisory groups, and