Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S325 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 984 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 325
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	John J. Cronin
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 :John J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex 1 of 6
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 984 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 325
18	18	By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 325) of John J. Cronin for
19	19	legislation to create and expand student pathways to success. Education.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 256 OF 2023-2024.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to create and expand student pathways to success.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 6 of the General laws, as appearing in the 2018 official edition, is
31	31	2hereby amended by inserting, after Section 17A, the following section:-
32	32	3 “Section 17B. (a) There is hereby established within the office of the governor a
33	33	4workforce skills cabinet, hereinafter referred to as the “cabinet,” to serve as a cross-agency
34	34	5governance structure for the purpose of advising the governor and relevant executive branch
35	35	6agencies as well as the general court, and aligning the programs and policies of the executive
36	36	7offices of labor and workforce development, education and housing and economic development
37	37	8to improve and expand workforce skills and college and career readiness to meet the varying
38	38	9current and future needs of the Commonwealth and its regions.
39	39	10 (b) The cabinet shall consist of: 2 of 6
40	40	11 1. the secretary of the executive office of education;
41	41	12 2. the secretary of the executive office of labor and workforce development;
42	42	13 3. the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development;
43	43	14 4. the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education;
44	44	15 5. the commissioner of the department of higher education;
45	45	16 6. the chairperson of the workforce development board established by section 7 of
46	46	17chapter 23H of the MGL;
47	47	18 7. the executive director of the Massachusetts workforce association;
48	48	19 8. three members appointed by the governor representing business and industry who-
49	49	20 (i) are owners of businesses, chief executive or operating officers of businesses, or other
50	50	21executives or employees with optimum policymaking or hiring authority; or,
51	51	22 (ii) represent organizations that represent businesses or industries;
52	52	23 9. two members appointed by the governor who represent the perspectives and interests
53	53	24of current or future workforce participants, including the parents of school age students; and,
54	54	25 10. three members appointed by the governor from amongst other college and career
55	55	26readiness and workforce development stakeholder groups.
56	56	27 (c) The appointed members shall each serve three year terms at the pleasure of the
57	57	28governor and serve without compensation. 3 of 6
58	58	29 (d) The governor shall select an individual from amongst its membership to chair the
59	59	30cabinet. The chair shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.
60	60	31 (e) The cabinet shall meet monthly and their meetings shall be public.
61	61	32 (f) In addition to, and within, the general mission of the cabinet as stated in subparagraph
62	62	33(a), the cabinet shall:
63	63	34 (i) facilitate alignment, collaboration, strategic planning, and joint execution among
64	64	35participating state agencies, offices, and other stakeholders around the development of workforce
65	65	36development strategies for the Commonwealth and the expansion of college and career readiness
66	66	37pathways for all, with an emphasis on high school programs;
67	67	38 (ii) conduct a biennial return on investment audit report of the state’s public education
68	68	39high school college and career pathways programs that shall determine the alignment of existing
69	69	40career pathways offerings, including career technical education and vocational programs, with
70	70	41state and regional labor market plans, employer demand, postsecondary degree or certificate
71	71	42programs, and industry-valued credentials. Said audit report shall a) identify the pathways
72	72	43offerings that are linked to high-skill, higher-wage, in-demand occupations; b) evaluate student
73	73	44participation and outcomes (such as postsecondary attainment, employment status, and wage
74	74	45earnings) associated with each pathways program; c) provide information that can be used to
75	75	46identify career pathway programs that are not aligned with labor market need and provide
76	76	47recommendations for phasing out said programs with a plan for shifting resources to pathway
77	77	48programs necessary to ensure the state’s future competitiveness; d) provide information about the
78	78	49availability, quality and student outcomes of pathways offerings to support student and their
79	79	50families in making informed decisions about their educational options. This audit report should 4 of 6
80	80	51include an analysis regarding the equity of access to college and career pathways programs in the
81	81	52state’s public high schools and recommendations for improving access to all student groups
82	82	53regardless of student background or geographic location. The audit report shall include
83	83	54recommendations to improve labor market alignment, quality, student access and outcomes, and
84	84	55operational efficiencies across the state’s pathways program offerings. The report shall be made
85	85	56available to the public and presented to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
86	86	57as well as the legislature’s joint committee on education.
87	87	58 (iii) develop and release an annual report on the status of the state’s job market at the
88	88	59time of the report and an analysis of the labor market need for the ensuing five year period
89	89	60necessary to ensure the economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth. Said report should
90	90	61include recommendations on what state policies and investments the state will need to make to
91	91	62ensure the state has the workforce it will need to address the future labor market need, including
92	92	63identification of those business sectors poised to experience growth and anticipated gaps in
93	93	64filling the employment need in those fields; a progress report on the status of career pathway
94	94	65programs in the state’s high schools, in higher education and in workforce training programs in
95	95	66targeted industries; and an analysis of data regarding the skills required for key industry jobs.
96	96	67The cabinet shall distribute this report, along with any related recommendations, to the office of
97	97	68the governor and relevant state agencies for the purpose of guiding decision-making in said
98	98	69agencies with regard to policy adoption and development and state funding investments. The
99	99	70report shall also be submitted to the legislature’s committees on ways and made available to the
100	100	71public no later than December 31st in any year. 5 of 6
101	101	72 (iv) oversee the improvement of data collection and reporting on pathways programs by
102	102	73facilitating data linkages between agencies, creating mechanisms to analyze meaningful growth
103	103	74data by specific pathways programs, and building new public-facing data tools;
104	104	75 (v) advise the departments of elementary and secondary education and higher education
105	105	76with regard to student acquisition of the employability skills that should be achieved in their
106	106	77preparation for career success; and,
107	107	78 (vi) submit an annual report to the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and
108	108	79means, the chairs of the joint education committee, and the chairs of the joint committee on
109	109	80higher education detailing the Cabinet’s work over the past year.
110	110	81 (g) The workforce skills cabinet shall be charged with developing and maintaining a set
111	111	82of strategic goals for the Commonwealth, its agencies and education and training institutions, in
112	112	83coordination with the governor’s office and in consultation with the departments of elementary
113	113	84and secondary education and higher education, regarding the expansion of college and career
114	114	85pathway programs for students that enhance and improve the likelihood of successful outcomes
115	115	86for high school graduates in college and career endeavors. The goals shall include the
116	116	87achievement of universal access for all of the state’s high school students to said pathway
117	117	88programs, which shall include, but not be limited to, early college programs, vocational/technical
118	118	89education programs, innovation pathway programs, STEM tech career academies, and other
119	119	90similar programs and courses of study. The cabinet will include, in its consideration of the
120	120	91establishment of said goals, that each pathway program should contain at least one, or more, of
121	121	92the following elements:
122	122	93 (i) the ability of students to earn college credit while in high school; 6 of 6
123	123	94 (ii) the ability of students to earn industry-recognized credentials in high school;
124	124	95 (iii) the ability of students to participate in a meaningful and relevant work-based
125	125	96learning experience while in high school; and,
126	126	97 (iv) the ability of students to receive dedicated career counseling while in high school.
127	127	98 The cabinet will develop, in consultation with the governor’s office and the departments
128	128	99of elementary and secondary education and higher education, a plan for the achievement of the
129	129	100goals established in accord with subsection (a) that includes strategies to be implemented,
130	130	101timelines for meeting interim outcomes and final outcome, resources to be allocated, and any
131	131	102other consideration, including an accounting of the persistent inequities inherent in not achieving
132	132	103said goals. The cabinet will report annually on its progress and that of the Commonwealth and its
133	133	104agencies in achieving universal student access to student learning pathways and establish
134	134	105milestone outcomes toward that achievement whose progress will be reported on as part of its
135	135	106annual reporting. The cabinet will undertake periodic review and updating of said goals to ensure
136	136	107continued progress in meeting the state’s needs with regard economic competitiveness and
137	137	108workforce preparation.
138	138	109 (h) The cabinet shall be staffed by a full time Executive Director who shall be an
139	139	110employee of the office of the governor, selected in consultation with the cabinet.
140	140	111 (i) The cabinet shall have the ability to receive funding to hire additional technical and
141	141	112administrative staff, to award contracts and grants, and to take actions necessary to fulfilling its
142	142	113responsibilities stated herein or as otherwise assigned by the governor.