Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H637 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 961 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 637
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kate Lipper-Garabedian
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to create and expand student pathways to success.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kate Lipper-Garabedian32nd Middlesex1/14/2025 1 of 6
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 961 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 637
18	18	By Representative Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
19	19	637) of Kate Lipper-Garabedian for legislation to establish a workforce skills cabinet to serve as
20	20	a cross-agency governance structure to improve and expand workforce skills and college and
21	21	career readiness. Education.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3009 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act to create and expand student pathways to success.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 Chapter 6 of the General laws, as appearing in the 2018 official edition, is hereby
33	33	2amended by inserting, after Section 17A, the following section:-
34	34	3 “Section 17B. (a) There is hereby established within the office of the governor a
35	35	4workforce skills cabinet, hereinafter referred to as the “cabinet,” to serve as a cross-agency
36	36	5governance structure for the purpose of advising the governor and relevant executive branch
37	37	6agencies as well as the general court, and aligning the programs and policies of the executive
38	38	7offices of labor and workforce development, education and housing and economic development
39	39	8to improve and expand workforce skills and college and career readiness to meet the varying
40	40	9current and future needs of the Commonwealth and its regions. 2 of 6
41	41	10 (b) The cabinet shall consist of:
42	42	11 1. the secretary of the executive office of education;
43	43	12 2. the secretary of the executive office of labor and workforce development;
44	44	13 3. the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development;
45	45	14 4. the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education;
46	46	15 5. the commissioner of the department of higher education;
47	47	16 6. the chairperson of the workforce development board established by section 7 of
48	48	17chapter 23H of the MGL;
49	49	18 7. the executive director of the Massachusetts workforce association;
50	50	19 8. three members appointed by the governor representing business and industry
51	51	20who-
52	52	21 (i)are owners of businesses, chief executive or operating officers of businesses, or
53	53	22other executives or employees with optimum policymaking or hiring authority; or,
54	54	23 (ii)represent organizations that represent businesses or industries;
55	55	24 9. two members appointed by the governor who represent the perspectives and
56	56	25interests of current or future workforce participants, including the parents of school age students;
57	57	26and,
58	58	27 10.three members appointed by the governor from amongst other college and career
59	59	28readiness and workforce development stakeholder groups. 3 of 6
60	60	29 (c) The appointed members shall each serve three year terms at the pleasure of the
61	61	30governor and serve without compensation.
62	62	31 (d) The governor shall select an individual from amongst its membership to chair the
63	63	32cabinet. The chair shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.
64	64	33 (e) The cabinet shall meet monthly and their meetings shall be public.
65	65	34 (f) In addition to, and within, the general mission of the cabinet as stated in subparagraph
66	66	35(a), the cabinet shall:
67	67	36 (i) facilitate alignment, collaboration, strategic planning, and joint execution among
68	68	37participating state agencies, offices, and other stakeholders around the development of workforce
69	69	38development strategies for the Commonwealth and the expansion of college and career readiness
70	70	39pathways for all, with an emphasis on high school programs;
71	71	40 (ii) conduct a biennial return on investment audit report of the state’s public education
72	72	41high school college and career pathways programs that shall determine the alignment of existing
73	73	42career pathways offerings, including career technical education and vocational programs, with
74	74	43state and regional labor market plans, employer demand, postsecondary degree or certificate
75	75	44programs, and industry-valued credentials. Said audit report shall a) identify the pathways
76	76	45offerings that are linked to high-skill, higher-wage, in-demand occupations; b) evaluate student
77	77	46participation and outcomes (such as postsecondary attainment, employment status, and wage
78	78	47earnings) associated with each pathways program; c) provide information that can be used to
79	79	48identify career pathway programs that are not aligned with labor market need and provide
80	80	49recommendations for phasing out said programs with a plan for shifting resources to pathway
81	81	50programs necessary to ensure the state’s future competitiveness; d) provide information about the 4 of 6
82	82	51availability, quality and student outcomes of pathways offerings to support student and their
83	83	52families in making informed decisions about their educational options. This audit report should
84	84	53include an analysis regarding the equity of access to college and career pathways programs in the
85	85	54state’s public high schools and recommendations for improving access to all student groups
86	86	55regardless of student background or geographic location. The audit report shall include
87	87	56recommendations to improve labor market alignment, quality, student access and outcomes, and
88	88	57operational efficiencies across the state’s pathways program offerings. The report shall be made
89	89	58available to the public and presented to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
90	90	59as well as the legislature’s joint committee on education.
91	91	60 (iii) develop and release an annual report on the status of the state’s job market at the
92	92	61time of the report and an analysis of the labor market need for the ensuing five year period
93	93	62necessary to ensure the economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth. Said report should
94	94	63include recommendations on what state policies and investments the state will need to make to
95	95	64ensure the state has the workforce it will need to address the future labor market need, including
96	96	65identification of those business sectors poised to experience growth and anticipated gaps in
97	97	66filling the employment need in those fields; a progress report on the status of career pathway
98	98	67programs in the state’s high schools, in higher education and in workforce training programs in
99	99	68targeted industries; and an analysis of data regarding the skills required for key industry jobs.
100	100	69The cabinet shall distribute this report, along with any related recommendations, to the office of
101	101	70the governor and relevant state agencies for the purpose of guiding decision-making in said
102	102	71agencies with regard to policy adoption and development and state funding investments. The
103	103	72report shall also be submitted to the legislature’s committees on ways and made available to the
104	104	73public no later than December 31st in any year. 5 of 6
105	105	74 (iv) oversee the improvement of data collection and reporting on pathways programs by
106	106	75facilitating data linkages between agencies, creating mechanisms to analyze meaningful growth
107	107	76data by specific pathways programs, and building new public-facing data tools;
108	108	77 (v) advise the departments of elementary and secondary education and higher education
109	109	78with regard to student acquisition of the employability skills that should be achieved in their
110	110	79preparation for career success; and,
111	111	80 (vi) submit an annual report to the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and
112	112	81means, the chairs of the joint education committee, and the chairs of the joint committee on
113	113	82higher education detailing the Cabinet’s work over the past year.
114	114	83 (g) The workforce skills cabinet shall be charged with developing and maintaining a set
115	115	84of strategic goals for the Commonwealth, its agencies and education and training institutions, in
116	116	85coordination with the governor’s office and in consultation with the departments of elementary
117	117	86and secondary education and higher education, regarding the expansion of college and career
118	118	87pathway programs for students that enhance and improve the likelihood of successful outcomes
119	119	88for high school graduates in college and career endeavors. The goals shall include the
120	120	89achievement of universal access for all of the state’s high school students to said pathway
121	121	90programs, which shall include, but not be limited to, early college programs, vocational/technical
122	122	91education programs, innovation pathway programs, STEM tech career academies, and other
123	123	92similar programs and courses of study. The cabinet will include, in its consideration of the
124	124	93establishment of said goals, that each pathway program should contain at least one, or more, of
125	125	94the following elements:
126	126	95 (i)the ability of students to earn college credit while in high school; 6 of 6
127	127	96 (ii)the ability of students to earn industry-recognized credentials in high school;
128	128	97 (iii)the ability of students to participate in a meaningful and relevant work-based
129	129	98learning experience while in high school; and,
130	130	99 (iv)the ability of students to receive dedicated career counseling while in high school.
131	131	100 The cabinet will develop, in consultation with the governor’s office and the departments
132	132	101of elementary and secondary education and higher education, a plan for the achievement of the
133	133	102goals established in accord with subsection (a) that includes strategies to be implemented,
134	134	103timelines for meeting interim outcomes and final outcome, resources to be allocated, and any
135	135	104other consideration, including an accounting of the persistent inequities inherent in not achieving
136	136	105said goals. The cabinet will report annually on its progress and that of the Commonwealth and its
137	137	106agencies in achieving universal student access to student learning pathways and establish
138	138	107milestone outcomes toward that achievement whose progress will be reported on as part of its
139	139	108annual reporting. The cabinet will undertake periodic review and updating of said goals to ensure
140	140	109continued progress in meeting the state’s needs with regard economic competitiveness and
141	141	110workforce preparation.
142	142	111 (h) The cabinet shall be staffed by a full time Executive Director who shall be an
143	143	112employee of the office of the governor, selected in consultation with the cabinet.
144	144	113 (i) The cabinet shall have the ability to receive funding to hire additional technical and
145	145	114administrative staff, to award contracts and grants, and to take actions necessary to fulfilling its
146	146	115responsibilities stated herein or as otherwise assigned by the governor.