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Session: State Capitol, Room 516 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-2828 Fax: (907) 465-4779 Send E-Mail Interim: 145 Main Street Loop, Suite 226 Kenai, AK 99611 Phone: (907) 283-2690 Fax: (907) 283-9267 345 W. Sterling Highway, Suite 102 Homer, AK 99603 Phone: (907) 235-0690 Fax: (907) 235-4008 |
| For Immediate Release: April 5, 2000 | |
| Contact: | Senator John Torgerson at (907) 465-2828. |
Juneau -- The Senate Finance Committee passed a bill on Wednesday that would establish a new technical and vocational education program for Alaska.
According to Finance Committee Co-Chair John Torgerson, Senate Bill 289 will have a substantial positive impact on Alaska's workforce. "Both employees and employers will benefit from the new program," he said. "Employers will benefit because they will have a trained, in-state work force and employees will benefit because they will be eligible for better paying jobs."
"Alaska needs to place a higher emphasis on vocational and technical training," said Torgerson, noting that importing employees from the lower 48 clearly harms the Alaskan economy. "Senator Ted Stevens, during his annual presentation to the legislature, urged Alaska to establish a statewide plan for technical and vocational education that would be eligible to receive Federal funds," he said.
The new program would be funded by credits from the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Two-tenths of one percent of the current unemployment wage deduction that is made from all paychecks would be allocated to the technical and vocational education program. The Statewide Employment Training Program already uses the same mechanism for funding, and receives one tenth of one percent of the unemployment wage deduction. $8.5 million is expected to be raised annually, and additional funds would be required from certain employers if the trust fund falls below actuarial amounts.
SB 289 provides for a first year funding level of $4.9 million for the University of Alaska, $1 million for the Alaska Vocational Technical Center, and $516,000 for the Kotzebue Technical Center.
"This critical area in Alaska education has been in need of attention for some time", said Torgerson. "I'm very pleased that the committee acted favorably on this bill, and I believe it is a bill which Alaskans will support."
Broadcasters note: Audio comments are available on the Majority Actuality line, 1-800-478-6540
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