California Education and Workforce Development Coordinating Entity.

Senator Padilla's proposal to establish the California Education and Workforce Development Coordinating Entity within the Government Operations Agency aims to centralize the state's career technical education and workforce development planning efforts. The new entity would comprise leaders from public universities, community colleges, workforce development boards, and other educational institutions, along with appointed student and workforce representatives.

The coordinating entity would be tasked with streamlining existing workforce programs, including the Golden State Pathways Program, Teacher Residency Grant Program, and apprenticeship initiatives. Its mandate includes developing a comprehensive state plan to align career technical education and workforce development across educational segments while addressing program overlaps, regional needs, and access barriers. The entity would maintain a database of program information and assess factors like tuition costs, admission policies, and support services for nontraditional students.

Members would serve without compensation but receive expense reimbursements, with meetings subject to open meeting requirements. The entity must prioritize program streamlining duties if funding constraints arise. Regular reports to the Legislature would detail recommendations for resolving conflicts between institutional plans and improving program coordination. The proposal requires the entity to protect student privacy and ensure data system compatibility with existing educational databases.