REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, THE STATE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL-TO-WORK PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A SCHOOL-TO-WORK SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.

WHEREAS, the New Mexico school-to-work initiative is a partnership of employers, educators and community groups that prepares New Mexico school students for careers and high academic achievement; and

WHEREAS, research indicates that the school-to-work initiative has resulted in increased student attendance in school, increased high school completion and increased participation and success in post-secondary education and training; and

WHEREAS, federal funding for the school-to-work initiative will terminate in fiscal year 2002; and

WHEREAS, the state board of education has constitutional authority over vocational education, pursuant to Article 12, Section 6 of the New Mexico constitution, and the state board of education administers the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act funds for career education from public school kindergarten through the two-year post-secondary institutions; and

WHEREAS, the state workforce development board was created by the 1999 legislature pursuant to requirements of the federal Workforce Investment Act to coordinate services that provide a meaningful relationship between job training and employment, and the duties of the board include the development and oversight of the one-stop employment service centers and the development of linkages to ensure coordination and nonduplication among employment programs; and

WHEREAS, the school-to-work initiative in New Mexico, established pursuant to 1996 congressional requirements, is administered by the office of the governor and coordinates seventeen regional area partnerships that connect training in schools and post-secondary institutions with business and industry alliances to ensure a qualified labor force; and

WHEREAS, in order for all public school students to prepare for productive careers through vocational and academic education and in order to continue the coordination established by the school-to-work initiative, the vocational education career preparation system and the workforce development board, a continuation of the school-to-work successful practices is necessary; and

WHEREAS, coordination of the school-to-work effort among its various partners has been essential in achieving the expansion of opportunities for all young people by exposing them to a broad array of career opportunities, in providing program continuity between grades kindergarten through twelve and post-secondary education and training and in assisting employers in providing high quality work-based learning opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the building and sustaining of public and private school-to-work partnerships is critical to the success of New Mexico's school-to-work initiative;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state department of public education, the office of the governor, the state workforce development board and public and private school-to-work partners develop a plan to sustain the school-to-work initiative in New Mexico for implementation in fiscal year 2002 to provide continuous career education, foster high academic achievement for students and sustain employment services to New Mexico's workforce from kindergarten through the two-year community college system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the findings and recommendations be reported to the legislative education study committee by November 2001; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of public instruction, the president of the state board of education, the office of the governor, the secretary of labor and the director of the legislative education study committee for appropriate distribution.