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Committee lays over Summit Academy funding request after testimony on credential programs and placement outcomes
Summary
Summit Academy requested a $4 million biennial appropriation to expand occupational training and student supports; the committee heard testimony from Summit leadership and program graduates and laid House File 1096 over for possible inclusion.
Summit Academy leaders and graduates described the nonprofit’s vocational training programs and requested continued state support to expand enrollment and launch new programs.
Leroy West, president and CEO of Summit Academy, told the committee the institution provides 20-week training programs that place graduates into careers in electrician, carpentry, medical administration, IT and other fields. West said Summit plans to double annual enrollment from approximately 1,000 to 2,000 students and requested $2 million per year (a $4 million biennial request) from the workforce development fund to support training, credentials, and student support services. West said the academy charges no out-of-pocket tuition to students and reported an average placement wage of about $45,000 a year for graduates, up from an average pre-enrollment household income of about $23,000.
A program graduate, Dami Maffei, testified that Summit Academy’s training led to employment at Atomic Data and described career advancement from an entry-level NOC position to a solutions consultant role.
Members asked about Summit’s relationships with unions and apprenticeship programs; Summit representatives said their pre-apprenticeship training partners with union apprenticeship pipelines and that graduates may enter formal apprenticeship programs after completing Summit’s courses.
House File 1096 was laid over for possible inclusion in a future bill; no committee appropriation vote occurred.
