State agency asks $4 million to study regional coordination for career education

The Labor and Workforce Development Agency asked the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 for $4 million in one-time general funds to evaluate regional coordination models and barriers under the governor's master plan for career education.

"Regional coordination varies greatly across the state," Abby Sney, deputy secretary for workforce strategy, told the subcommittee. The proposed research would assess regional assets and gaps, identify models that align community colleges, workforce boards and employers, and produce recommendations for state policy and the proposed state coordinating council.

The Legislative Analyst's Office said regional coordination can offer promise but recommended the department identify specific policy levers the study would inform. LAO analysts noted many recent state initiatives already emphasize regional approaches and said the study should explain how its findings would lead to concrete policy or funding changes.

Assemblymember DeMaio pressed whether the work duplicates existing structures such as workforce investment boards and community college programs and asked whether the department plans to use competitive procurement; the department said it would run a competitive process if the request is approved. Department of Finance said the request aligns with efforts to address regional differences and support state-level coordination.

No vote was taken; committee members requested clarifications about the procurement process and how recommendations would translate into policy decisions that reduce program duplication.