H.R. 148 Summary

• Requests the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Workforce Development Council to establish a task force to conduct a comprehensive study of Hawaii's current education and workforce development programs

• Task force directed to identify industries with worker shortages, strategies to enhance worker recruitment and retention, and ways to expand work-based learning opportunities for youth and adults

• Task force required to study existing state education and workplace development programs, pathways for obtaining in-demand occupational licenses, and strategies to close the digital divide for disconnected residents

• Task force must ensure English language learners have access to work-based learning and job training support, and identify coordination strategies to maximize employer and employee participation in programs

• Task force must submit report with findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the start of the 2025 Regular Session