hr1048_LC_33_1563S_rcs_6.html
06 LC 33 1563S
House Resolution 1048 (RULES COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)
By: Representatives Millar of the 79th, Coleman of the 97th, Jones of the 46th, Williams of the 4th, and Holmes of the 61st

A RESOLUTION

Creating the House Study Committee on Market-Demand Skills Education in High Schools; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, based on statistics of the Georgia Department of Labor, minority youth unemployment (ages 16-19) in this state is 41.9 percent and Caucasian youth unemployment in this state is 21.7 percent; and

WHEREAS, the international youth unemployment rate in the world's industrialized countries is 13.7 percent; and

WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the City of Atlanta is among the ten
cities in the country with the highest youth unemployment; and

WHEREAS, there has been found to be a direct correlation between high youth unemployment and high youth crime; and

WHEREAS, an increase in the number of skilled workers in this state can also impact and improve this state's economic development; and

WHEREAS, to encourage youth to complete high school and to obtain meaningful skills that can enable them to obtain worthwhile jobs, a growing number of states have passed legislation to implement programs to teach market-demand skills in high schools for students opting not to go to college; and

WHEREAS, market-demand skills vary from community to community, but can include areas such as automotive technology (motor and body repair), computer technology, construction trades (carpentry, electric, heating and air conditioning, masonry, plumbing, roofing), health care technology (CT scan, MRI), and hospitality (culinary arts, hotel management); and
WHEREAS, a study of the issues surrounding the feasibility and usefulness of implementing a market-demand skills program in grades 10 through 12 in the public high schools in this state to address youth unemployment and to improve this state's economic development would be beneficial to determine whether legislative action should be recommended.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created the House Study Committee on Market-Demand Skills Education in High Schools to be composed of five members. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint five members of the House of Representatives as members of the committee and shall designate one of such members as chairperson. The committee shall meet at the call of the chairperson.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. All other funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds appropriated to the House of Representatives. The expenses and allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than three days unless additional days are authorized. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report shall be made on or before December 31, 2006. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2006.