STATEHOUSE — House Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis) introduced legislation to create an Indiana Career Council, designed to coordinate between multiple participants in the state’s educational, job skills and career training systems. The Speaker has been joined by Leader Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City), State Reps. Steve Braun (R-Zionsville) and Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) as co-authors on House Bill (HB) 1002.
In October, Speaker Bosma joined by a dozen of his House Republican colleagues, announced the House Republican “Own Your American Dream†Agenda, created to help make Indiana a stronger state for future generations. In the agenda release, the Speaker highlighted the skills gap, an increasing issue amongst Hoosier workers, and employers.
Sixty-seven percent of manufacturing companies are reporting moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers. Fifty-six percent of those expect the shortage to increase in the next three years. The proposed council would provide any Hoosier participating in the state’s educational, job skills and career training system with the opportunity to connect with a fitting educational program.
“It is imperative that we organize the state’s resources in a way that best works for its people. The Indiana Career Council will provide the coordination of information, vision and direction to the various participants in the state’s educational, job skills, and career training system,†said Speaker Bosma.
Members of the Indiana Career Council will be charged with developing a process to match the education skills and training provided by the state’s educational, job skills and career training system with the currently existing and future needs of the state’s job market, as well as submitting recommendations to the Indiana General Assembly for how to improve Indiana’s job skills training system from top to bottom.
“Our goal is to make success possible for everyone, and it starts with having a great education,†said Rep. Braun. “We will work to align our education system and job skill development with available jobs so that Hoosiers can overcome any obstacle that life may throw at them as we work towards building a brighter future.â€
Members of the council would include:
•Governor (Chair)
•Lieutenant Governor (Vice Chair)
•Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
•The Secretary of Commerce (IEDC)
•State Superintendent of Public Instruction (DOE)
•Commissioner of the Commission for Higher Education (CHE)
•The Secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA)
•The President of Ivy Tech College
•One member appointed by the Governor who represents manufacturers interests
•One member appointed by the Governor who represents the interests of the business community
•One member appointed by the Governor who represents the interest of labor
•Two members appointed by the Speaker to serve in an advisory role – cannot be from same political party
•Two members appointed by the Pro Temp to serve in an advisory role – cannot be from same political party
“It is evident that the Indiana General Assembly has worked hard in recent years to improve the Hoosier economy,†said Rep. Smaltz. “Now that we have an increase in jobs, we need to bridge the skills gap and equip Hoosiers with the skills they need.â€
The bill will now move to the Committee of Government and Regulatory Reform for a hearing.
