ACR 50: Workforce development.
- Session Year: 2019-2020
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2019-09-09
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Date
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Status
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| Sep 9, 2019 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 143, Statutes of 2019. |
| Sep 9, 2019 | Enrolled and filed with the Secretary of State at 3 p.m. |
| Sep 5, 2019 | In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. |
| Sep 4, 2019 | Adopted and to Assembly. |
| Aug 30, 2019 | From committee: Be adopted. Ordered to Third Reading. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 30). |
| Jun 24, 2019 | In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| Jun 12, 2019 | From committee: Be adopted, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 12). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| May 22, 2019 | Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R. |
| May 14, 2019 | In Senate. To Com. on RLS. |
| May 13, 2019 | Adopted and to Senate. |
| May 8, 2019 | From committee: Be adopted. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (May 8). |
| Apr 25, 2019 | From committee: Be adopted, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Mar 28, 2019 | Referred to Com. on L. & E. |
| Mar 13, 2019 | From printer. |
| Mar 12, 2019 | Introduced. To print. |
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Date
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Description
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Location
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Votes
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2019 | Assembly 3rd Reading ACR50 Chiu et al. By Pan | Senate Floor |
Passed |
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| Aug 30, 2019 | Be adopted. Ordered to third reading | Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
|
| Jun 24, 2019 | Placed on suspense file | Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
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| Jun 12, 2019 | Be adopted, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar | Senate Standing Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement |
Passed |
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| May 13, 2019 | ACR 50 Chiu Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session | Assembly Floor |
Passed |
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| May 8, 2019 | Be adopted. To Consent Calendar. | Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
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| Apr 24, 2019 | Be adopted and re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | Assembly Standing Committee on Labor and Employment |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
Office of Senate Floor Analyses (916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) 327-4478 | ACR 50 |
THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 50
Author: Chiu (D) and Eduardo Garcia (D)
Introduced: 3/12/19
SENATE LABOR, PUB. EMP. & RET. COMMITTEE: 5-0, 6/12/19
AYES: Hill, Morrell, Jackson, Mitchell, Pan
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/30/19
AYES: Portantino, Bates, Bradford, Durazo, Hill, Jones, Wieckowski
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 5/13/19 (Consent) - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Workforce development
SOURCE: California Immigrant Policy Center
Chinese for Affirmative Action
DIGEST:
This resolution calls on the state’s workforce development system to improve access to workforce development programs for all Californians, including minority communities, limited English proficiency individuals and the formerly incarcerated.
Existing law:
- Establishes the Fair Employment and Housing Act, which prohibits an employer from refusing to hire or employ a person, refusing to select a person for a training program leading to employment, barring or discharging a person from employment or from a training program leading to employment, or to discriminate against a person in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status. (Government Code §12940)
- Establishes the Employment Development Department (EDD) within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. EDD is responsible for coordinating job creation activities and the administration of the Unemployment Fund and Unemployment Insurance, among other duties and responsibilities. (Unemployment Insurance Code §301)
- Establishes the California Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act, which requires that workforce investment programs and services shall be responsive to the needs of employers, workers, and students by accomplishing the following:
- Preparing California’s students and workers with the skills necessary to successfully compete in the global economy.
- Producing greater numbers of individuals who obtain industry-recognized certificates and career-oriented degrees in competitive and emerging industry sectors and filling critical labor market skills gaps.
- Adapting to rapidly changing local and regional labor markets as specific workforce skill requirements change over time.
- Preparing workers for good-paying jobs that foster economic security and upward mobility.
- Aligning employment programs, resources, and planning efforts regionally around industry sectors that drive regional employment to connect services and training directly to jobs.
(Unemployment Insurance Code §14000)
- Establishes the Division of Apprenticeship standards, which is responsible for evaluating apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs to ensure that the program evaluated is complying with its standards, that all on-the-job training is supervised by journeymen, that all classroom instruction required by the apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship standards is being provided, that all work processes in the standards are being covered, and that graduates have completed the program’s requirements. (Labor Code §3073.1)
- Allows an apprenticeship program to be administered by a joint apprenticeship committee, unilateral management or labor apprenticeship committee, or an individual employer. (Labor Code §3075)
This resolution:
- Calls upon the state’s workforce system to improve access to workforce development programs for all Californians, ensure representation of impacted communities in the decision making processes for developing workforce strategies, create more effective training programs for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals, remove barriers for individuals reentering the workforce, create goals and metrics that are directly tied to improving equity and access to workforce development and quality jobs for all Californians, and build equity and accountability into our state-funded workforce development programs.
- Orders the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the author for appropriate distribution.
Need for this resolution? According to the author, “Immigrants and people of color are often subjected to barriers when attempting to enter the workforce. These barriers range from: a lack of language accessibility in employment documents; unaffordable costs of transportation; wage inequities; lack of accessibility to adequate childcare; barriers in obtaining the proper types of licensure required for specific occupations; and general discrimination from employers during the hiring process. Furthermore, because of the underrepresentation of these communities within institutions of higher education, employers that continue to extend bachelor’s degree requirements to more jobs are effectively shutting potentially qualified workers out of current and future opportunities.”
Today, the state of California is well known in this country and around the world as a leader on the issues of inclusivity and encouraging diversity. The state has taken historic steps to grant driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants establish sanctuary cities, reform sentencing and use of force laws, champion access to higher education for minority communities and push for stronger protections for the LGBT+ community.
However, these triumphs of equality do not erase the fraught history that California shares with the rest of the country. Black and Latinx communities today still face disproportionate discrimination in hiring practices and in the criminal justice system. LGBT+ adults and youth face astronomically higher rates of homelessness, mental illness and suicide. Many Asian and Latinx immigrants languish under inhumane working conditions, denied any knowledge of their rights due to language barriers. Even with the great strides we have taken as a state, there can be no escaping historical injustices inflicted on the minority communities of this state.
Considering all of this problematic shared history, it is important to point out where California differs. Rather than sweep the past under the rug, California has endeavored to right the wrongs of the past and this resolution can play an important role in achieving that end. In many cases, it would be impossible to give reparations directly to those who were unfairly persecuted decades ago, but lawmakers can attempt to level the uneven playing field that persecution has wrought. An important component to increasing the equality of opportunity for all is to ensure that every citizen has the chance for gainful employment and economic mobility. This resolution calls upon state workforce development agencies to think critically on how to use public resources to promote equity, accessibility of development programs and quality jobs for all communities across the state.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this resolution would not result in any direct costs to the state. However, its implementation would lead to cost pressures, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
California Immigrant Policy Center (co-source)
Chinese for Affirmative Action (co-source)
African Advocacy Network
Alliance for Boys and Men of Color
California Immigrant Policy Center
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance
Miguel Contreras Foundation
North Bay Jobs with Justice
Orange County API Community Alliance
Pomona Economic Opportunity Center
Proteus Inc.
Roberts Enterprise Development Fund
San Francisco Unified School District
Somali Bantu Association of America
Street Level Health Project
The Fresno Center
The Jakara Movement
Upwardly Global
Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay
OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/30/19)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: The California Immigrant Policy Center, a co-sponsor of this resolution writes, “The future of California’s economy depends on workforce development reforms that center the needs of low-income immigrants, LEPs, refugees and communities of color. By 2025, California is projected to face a shortage as high as 1.5 million workers who have some postsecondary education. Meanwhile, less than one-half of California’s immigrants, and only 52 percent of people of color between the ages of 25 and 64 have education beyond a high school degree. Additionally, California has over 6.8 million residents who are Limited English Proficient, which makes pursuing language appropriate training even more difficult. Building the skills of immigrants, refugees and people of color is vital to meeting the demands of our changing economy and will help the state address its existing and future challenges.”
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 5/13/19
AYES: Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bonta, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chen, Chiu, Choi, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Cunningham, Dahle, Daly, Diep, Eggman, Flora, Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gonzalez, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Smith, Mark Stone, Ting, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wicks, Wood, Rendon
NO VOTE RECORDED: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Brough, Burke, Frazier, Gloria
Prepared by: Jake Ferrera / L., P.E. & R. / (916) 651-1556
9/1/19 10:57:47
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair
2019 - 2020 Regular Session
ACR 50 (Chiu) - Workforce development
Version: | Policy Vote: |
Urgency: | Mandate: |
Hearing Date: | Consultant: |
Bill Summary:
ACR 50 would call on the state’s workforce development system to improve access to workforce development programs for all Californians, including minority communities, limited English proficiency individuals and the formerly incarcerated.
Fiscal Impact:
This measure would not result in any direct costs to the State. However, its implementation would lead to cost pressures, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Proposed Law:
This measure would call upon the state’s workforce system to (1) improve access to workforce development programs for all Californians, (2) ensure representation of impacted communities in the decision making processes for developing workforce strategies, (3) create more effective training programs for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals, (4) remove barriers for individuals reentering the workforce, create goals and metrics that are directly tied to improving equity and access to workforce development and quality jobs for all Californians, and (5) build equity and accountability into state-funded workforce development programs.
Related Legislation:
SB 491 (Bradford, 2017) would have required the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, by April 1, 2018, to establish an advisory group to determine the feasibility of authorizing local government entities to enforce antidiscrimination statutes. The bill was vetoed by the Governor.
Staff Comments:
This resolution is intended to help Californians who face barriers with respect to achieving economic viability and self-sufficiency. The author cites a report by the California Immigrant Policy Center that concludes that low-income communities of color and immigrants face significant barriers in accessing workforce development service, including language and cultural barriers and discrimination in the labor force. The costs associated with large expansions of the State’s workforce training systems can be significant. For instance, the 2018-19 budget includes $37 million in General Fund spending for the Prison to Employment Initiative, a grant program to better integrate workforce development and reentry services. Creating and expanding such programs to serve the full population of residents targeted by this measure would likely increase costs to the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
-- END --
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND RETIREMENT
Senator Jerry Hill, Chair
2019 - 2020 Regular
Bill No: ACR 50 Hearing Date: June 12, 2019
Author: | Chiu and Eduardo Garcia | ||
Version: | March 12, 2019 | ||
Urgency: | No | Fiscal: | Yes |
Consultant: | Jake Ferrera | ||
SUBJECT: Workforce development.
KEY ISSUE
Should the Legislature call on the state’s workforce development system to improve access to workforce development programs for all Californians, including minority communities, limited English proficiency individuals and the formerly incarcerated?
ANALYSIS
Existing law:
- Establishes the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), which prohibits an employer from refusing to hire or employ a person, refusing to select a person for a training program leading to employment, barring or discharging a person from employment or from a training program leading to employment, or to discriminate against a person in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status. (Government Code §12940)
- Establishes the Employment Development Department (EDD) within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. EDD is responsible for coordinating job creation activities and the administration of the Unemployment Fund and Unemployment Insurance, among other duties and responsibilities. (Unemployment Insurance Code §301)
- Establishes the California Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act, which requires that Workforce investment programs and services shall be responsive to the needs of employers, workers, and students by accomplishing the following:
- Preparing California’s students and workers with the skills necessary to successfully compete in the global economy.
- Producing greater numbers of individuals who obtain industry-recognized certificates and career-oriented degrees in competitive and emerging industry sectors and filling critical labor market skills gaps.
- Adapting to rapidly changing local and regional labor markets as specific workforce skill requirements change over time.
- Preparing workers for good-paying jobs that foster economic security and upward mobility.
- Aligning employment programs, resources, and planning efforts regionally around industry sectors that drive regional employment to connect services and training directly to jobs.
(Unemployment Insurance Code §14000)
- Establishes the Division of Apprenticeship standards, which is responsible for evaluating apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs to ensure that the program evaluated is complying with its standards, that all on-the-job training is supervised by journeymen, that all classroom instruction required by the apprenticeship or preapprenticeship standards is being provided, that all work processes in the standards are being covered, and that graduates have completed the program’s requirements. (Labor Code §3073.1)
- Allows an apprenticeship program to be administered by a joint apprenticeship committee, unilateral management or labor apprenticeship committee, or an individual employer.
(Labor Code §3075)
This bill:
- Calls upon the state’s workforce system to improve access to workforce development programs for all Californians, ensure representation of impacted communities in the decision making processes for developing workforce strategies, create more effective training programs for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals, remove barriers for individuals reentering the workforce, create goals and metrics that are directly tied to improving equity and access to workforce development and quality jobs for all Californians, and build equity and accountability into our state-funded workforce development programs.
- Orders the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to transmit copies of the resolution to the Governor, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Workforce Development Board, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the author for appropriate distribution.
COMMENTS
1. Need for this measure?
According to the Author:
“Immigrants and people of color are often subjected to barriers when attempting to enter the workforce. These barriers range from: a lack of language accessibility in employment documents; unaffordable costs of transportation; wage inequities; lack of accessibility to adequate childcare; barriers in obtaining the proper types of licensure required for specific occupations; and general discrimination from employers during the hiring process.
Furthermore, because of the underrepresentation of these communities within institutions of higher education, employers that continue to extend bachelor’s degree requirements to more jobs are effectively shutting potentially qualified workers out of current and future opportunities.”
2. Staff Comments
Today, the state of California is well known in this country and around the world as a leader on the issues of inclusivity and encouraging diversity. The state has taken historic steps to grant driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants establish sanctuary cities, reform sentencing and use of force laws, champion access to higher education for minority communities and push for stronger protections for the LGBT+ community.
However, these triumphs of equality do not erase the fraught history that California shares with the rest of the country. Black and Latinx communities today still face disproportionate discrimination in hiring practices and in the criminal justice system. LGBT+ adults and youth face astronomically higher rates of homelessness, mental illness and suicide. Many Asian and Latinx immigrants languish under inhumane working conditions, denied any knowledge of their rights due to language barriers. Even with the great strides we have taken as a state, there can be no escaping historical injustices inflicted on the minority communities of this state.
Considering all of this problematic shared history, it is important to point out where California differs. Rather than sweep the past under the rug, California has endeavored to right the wrongs of the past and this resolution can play an important role in achieving that end. In many cases, it would be impossible to give reparations directly to those who were unfairly persecuted decades ago, but lawmakers can attempt to level the uneven playing field that persecution has wrought. An important component to increasing the equality of opportunity for all is to ensure that every citizen has the chance for gainful employment and economic mobility. This resolution calls upon state workforce development agencies to think critically on how to use public resources to promote equity, accessibility of development programs and quality jobs for all communities across the state.
3. Proponent Arguments
The California Immigrant Policy Center, a co-sponsor of the bill writes:
“The future of California’s economy depends on workforce development reforms that center the needs of low-income immigrants, LEPs, refugees and communities of color. By 2025, California is projected to face a shortage as high as 1.5 million workers who have some postsecondary education. Meanwhile, less than one-half of California’s immigrants, and only 52 percent of people of color between the ages of 25 and 64 have education beyond a high school degree. Additionally, California has over 6.8 million residents who are Limited English Proficient, which makes pursuing language appropriate training even more difficult. Building the skills of immigrants, refugees and people of color is vital to meeting the demands of our changing economy and will help the state address its existing and future challenges.”
4. Opponent Arguments:
None received.
5. Pending Resolution:
SJR 6 (Chang): calls on the President and the Congress of the United States to develop a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee and to adopt a comprehensive artificial intelligence policy.
6. Prior Legislation
SB 491 (Bradford) of 2017, Vetoed by Governor Brown: Would have required the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, by April 1, 2018, to establish an advisory group to determine the feasibility of authorizing local government entities to also enforce antidiscrimination statutes.
SUPPORT
California Immigrant Policy Center (Co-sponsor)
Chinese for Affirmative Action (Co-sponsor)
African Advocacy Network
Alliance for Boys and Men of Color
California Immigrant Policy Center
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance
Miguel Contreras Foundation
North Bay Jobs with Justice
Orange County API Community Alliance
Pomona Economic Opportunity Center
Proteus Inc.
Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF)
Somali Bantu Association of America
Street Level Health Project
The Fresno Center
The Jakara Movement
Upwardly Global
Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay
OPPOSITION
None on file.
-- END --
Date of Hearing: May 8, 2019
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:ACR 50
Author:(Chiu) – As Introduced Ver:March 12, 2019
Policy Committee: | Labor and Employment | Vote: | 7 - 0 |
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| ||
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Urgency: State Mandated Local Program: Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This resolution calls upon the state’s workforce system to improve access to workforce development for all Californians.
FISCAL EFFECT:
No direct state costs, but significant cost pressures, likely in excess of $300 million, to ensure that California’s workforce development programs better reach California residents who are low-income immigrants, Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals, refugees and the formerly incarcerated.
The costs associated with large expansions of California’s workforce training systems can be quite high. As an illustrative example, in July 2018, the Legislature approved $37 million General Fund for the Prison to Employment Initiative, a grant program to help integrate workforce development and reentry services. The formerly incarcerated is just one of ACR 50’s target populations.
COMMENTS:
Purpose. According to the author, this resolution will help the Legislature remove barriers and ensure career pathway programs are access to Californians who “face economic viability and self-sufficiency.” The author cites a report by the California Immigrant Policy Center that concludes that low-income communities of color and immigrants face significant barriers in accessing workforce development service, including language and cultural barriers and discrimination in the labor force.
Analysis Prepared by: Luke Reidenbach / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
Date of Hearing: April 24, 2109
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Ash Kalra, Chair
ABPCA Bill Id:ACR 50 (
Author:Chiu) – As Introduced Ver:March 12, 2019
SUBJECT: Workforce development
SUMMARY: Calls upon the state’s workforce system to improve access to workforce development for all Californians.
Specifically, this resolution, makes the following findings and declarations:
- California has the fifth largest economy in the world but also has the fourth highest level of income inequality in the nation; and
- Immigrants and workers of color have become a significant and growing portion of the United States’ workforce, especially in California, where immigrants comprise more than 35 percent and workers of color comprise more than 58 percent of the state’s civilian workforce. However, accessible and appropriate workforce development programs for these individuals remain scarce in our state; and
- California is facing record low unemployment alongside a record high number of open jobs, over one-half of which require less than a bachelor’s degree, yet employers continue to extend bachelor’s degree requirements to more jobs, shutting people out of current and future opportunities; and
- By 2025, California is projected to face a shortage of as high as 1,500,000 workers who have some postsecondary education. Many more will be shut out of job opportunities due to changing skill requirements for in-demand jobs; and
- Less than one-half of California’s immigrants between 25 and 64 years of age have education beyond a high school degree. Only 52 percent of people of color between 25 and 64 years of age have education beyond a high school degree; and
- California has over 6.8 million residents who are Limited English Proficient (LEP), meaning they reported speaking English less than “very well” in the United States Census Bureau’s Decennial Censuses and the American Community Surveys; and
- Of the immigrant and refugee college-educated adults in California, 25 percent are underemployed or unemployed; and
- By 2030, people of color will make up approximately 68.8 percent of California’s population; and
- Predictions about increased automation and technological advancement forecast that 11,000,000 entry-level workers are at risk of being displaced in the United States, impacting as many as 83 percent of jobs paying less than $20 per hour; and
- Without progressive policy change to ensure that all Californians have the skills and opportunities to participate in our future economy, immigrants, refugees, and people of color will continue to bear the impact of economic inequality; and
- Building the skills of immigrants, refugees, and people of color is vital to meeting the demands of our changing economy and will help the state address its existing and future challenges; and
- California thrives because of its diverse workforce. Immigrants founded around 45 percent of all new businesses from 2007 to 2011, inclusive. More than 35 percent of small businesses are owned by people of color, and people of color represent over one-half trillion dollars in purchasing power in the state; and
- A diverse workforce is vital to the continued growth and success of businesses, where businesses with strong racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to outperform their peers; and
- Immigrants, refugees, and people of color who are directly impacted by workforce strategies are underrepresented in the public workforce system’s decision making bodies; and
- Many LEP individuals face multiple barriers of low educational attainment and limited English proficiency, making it difficult for them to secure a job with livable wages to sustain their families and the demand for language appropriate workforce services and vocational training far exceeds availability; and
- Individuals reentering the workforce face discrimination in the workplace and multiple barriers to obtaining licenses and certifications, making it difficult to secure employment in jobs for which they have training and experience; and
- Immigrants, refugees, and people of color are under represented in, and face myriad barriers to, accessing job training and career pathways and these barriers include language and cultural barriers, the cost of education, transportation, childcare, discrimination, and wage inequities.
In addition, this resolution makes the following resolutions:
- The California State Assembly and the Senate thereof concurring, that the Legislature is committed to removing barriers and ensuring that good jobs and career pathway programs are accessible to all while promoting equity and inclusion in hiring practices.
- The Legislature calls upon the state’s workforce system to improve access to workforce development for all Californians, ensure representation of impacted communities in the decision making processes for developing workforce strategies, create more effective training programs for LEP individuals, remove barriers for individuals reentering the workforce, create goals and metrics that are directly tied to improving equity and access to workforce development and quality jobs for all Californians, and build equity and accountability into our state-funded workforce development programs so that all Californians can participate meaningfully in, contribute to, and thrive in our current and future economy.
COMMENTS: According to the author, “This resolution is needed in order to assist the Legislature in removing barriers and ensuring that good jobs and career pathway programs are accessible to Californians who face multiple obstacles to economic viability and self-sufficiency. Specific policy attention should be paid to California residents who are low-income immigrants, low-skilled and low educated LEP individuals, refugees, and the formerly incarcerated.
California’s immigrants contribute greatly to the state’s economy. Immigrants comprise over one third of California’s workforce and undocumented immigrants represent one in ten of California’s workers. The majority of the immigrant population 16 years or older works and pays taxes. Often unrecognized, immigrant workers contribute about 32 percent of California’s gross domestic product (GDP).”
Additionally, the author states, “Despite California’s immigrant and refugee contributions to the state, they have been largely left out of the workforce development equation, particularly the state’s undocumented immigrants, who are currently ineligible for the majority of workforce services. The resolution is needed to call attention to the policy problem these communities face. There is a state policy and programmatic disconnect between immigrant contributions to our workforce and the structural barriers that shut out thousands of Californians from workforce development opportunities and contribute to increasing inequality. The resolution punctuates the importance of investing in workforce development for all Californians, regardless of immigration status, and calls for policies that ensure workforce development works to support upward economic mobility for every Californian.”
According to the Migration Policy Institute’s report, “Credentials for the Future, Mapping the Potential for Immigrant-Origin Adults in the United States,” immigrant-origin adults are a large and strategically important population for targeting efforts to boost credential attainment which is necessary both for the future of California’s economy and addressing our skilled labor shortage, and for promoting economic mobility. Immigrant-origin adults without postsecondary education make up 30 percent of the 100 million adults without such credentials. In California, immigrant-origin adults account for 58% of all adults ages 16-64 lacking postsecondary credentials, even though postsecondary credentials have been shown to provide positive labor market returns, including higher labor force participation and higher incomes.
Unfortunately, according to a California Immigrant Policy Center’s report, “Making the Right Investments: Ensuring Workforce Development Programs Work for All Californians,” immigrants and low-income communities of color face significant barriers in accessing workforce development services. The barriers include language and cultural barriers, time and resources required to participate in training, discrimination in the labor force, performance metrics that lead to “creaming,” and the fact that undocumented immigrants are ineligible for the majority of workforce development programs. These barriers are particularly acute in immigrant, LEP, and reentry populations.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
African Advocacy Network
Alliance For Boys And Men of Color
California Immigrant Policy Center (sponsor)
Chinese For Affirmative Action/AACRE
Jakara Movement
KIWA
Miguel Contreras Foundation
Orange County Asian And Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Inc.
Pomona Economic Opportunity Center
Proteus, Inc.
Somali Bantu Association of America
Street Level Health Project
The Fresno Center
Upwardly Global
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by: Lorie Alvarez / L. & E. /
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):