REFERENCE TITLE: CTE; rural areas; reservations

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature Second Regular Session 2018

SCR 1025

Introduced by Senators Yee: Allen S, Borrelli, Brophy McGee, Fann, Griffin, Meza, Otondo, Peshlakai, Pratt, Worsley; Representatives Benally, Cook, Descheenie, Gonzales, John, Nutt, Toma

 

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 

supporting cooperative efforts between Arizona's business community and education system to develop career and technical education and workforce opportunities in this state.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Whereas, rural areas and Indian reservations in Arizona suffer from higher unemployment and high school dropout rates than urban areas of the state; and

Whereas, the data for 2016 shows that Apache, Gila and Navajo Counties suffered higher high school dropout rates than Pima and Maricopa Counties, and the dropout rate for American Indian students, which exceeds 10% in Cochise, Gila and Yuma Counties, was higher than the dropout rates for all other students in the state; and

Whereas, career and technical education (CTE) prepare students for skills that are critical to the workforce and the economy of this state; and

Whereas, the workforce shortages that CTE programs seek to address in specific technical fields and specialties are unique for different parts of the state; and

Whereas, outdated technical training equipment and laboratory resources and statewide teacher shortages in CTE are barriers to successful education programs for students in these areas; and

Whereas, the unemployment rate in rural Arizona and on reservations is likewise higher than in urban areas of Arizona; and

Whereas, in December 2017, Maricopa and Pima Counties had a combined unemployment rate in of 3.9%, compared to 6.8% for the rural counties and an overall unemployment rate of 4.6% statewide; and

Whereas, improving the high school dropout and unemployment rates in the more remote parts of the state will allow properly skilled students to more readily enter the workforce or transition to a community college or university education; and

Whereas, the business community and the education system in Arizona must work together to develop strategies to ensure successful career and technical education and workforce opportunities in this state's rural communities, and the Office of Indian Education in the Arizona Department of Education is a crucial resource for addressing these important issues in tribal areas of the state.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the Members of the Legislature support cooperative efforts between Arizona's business community and education system to develop successful strategies for improving career and technical education and workforce opportunities in this state.