Bill > HB1859

This bill requires the Workforce Development Council to develop and recommend a comprehensive Statewide Workforce Strategy to the Governor for inclusion in the State Unified Plan, which is a broad plan for the state's economic and workforce development. The Council will also be responsible for coordinating and aligning the workforce development efforts and programs of various state departments and agencies to ensure they work together to achieve the goals of both the State Unified Plan and the new Statewide Workforce Strategy. This strategy aims to create pathways for all residents to build careers, learn, work, and thrive in the state, contributing to a strong local economy by 2045, and will include specific plans and metrics for areas like increasing work-based learning, economic resilience, job quality, living-wage employment, industry partnerships, and job retention. The bill also clarifies that state departments and agencies must assist the Council by providing necessary data and information for evaluating the strategy, and defines "facilitating the alignment" as actions like interagency planning and recommending policy changes.