EXECUTIVE ORDER MJF 96-28

School-to-Work Council

WHEREAS: the economic strength of the state of Louisiana and the prosperity of its citizens depend, in part, on whether the youth of this state receive proper preparation for productive careers and livelihoods;

WHEREAS: the workplace of today is changing in response to factors such as heightened international competition and new technologies which cause the demand for unskilled labor to shrink, and undermines the earning power of unskilled labor;

WHEREAS: the state of Louisiana's educational and training systems have not kept pace with the changing needs of the workplace;

WHEREAS: eighty percent of the state of Louisiana's youth enter the workforce without first obtaining a college degree; consequently, many do not possess the academic or entry-level occupational skills necessary to succeed in the workplace;

WHEREAS: a substantial number of the youth of the state of Louisiana do not complete high school, especially those who are disadvantaged or have disabilities;

WHEREAS: the state of Louisiana lacks a comprehensive system to help its youth acquire the skills and abilities, and the knowledge and information needed to access the labor market and make an effective transition from school either to a career oriented job or to further education and training;

WHEREAS: the work-based learning approach, modeled after the time-honored apprenticeship concept, effectively engages student interest, enhances their skill acquisition, develops positive work attitudes, and prepares youth for highly-skilled, advanced-wage careers;

WHEREAS: the United States School-to-Work Opportunities Program has been established to provide a national framework for all states to develop high quality school-to-work transition systems that utilize workplaces as active learning environments within the educational process, 20 U.S.C.A. 1601, et seq.; and

WHEREAS: for the state of Louisiana to successfully develop a statewide school-to-work system, cooperation and collaboration are needed between business, labor, and government, and parents, students, and their communities;

NOW THEREFORE I, M.J. "MIKE" FOSTER, JR., Governor of the State of Louisiana, by virtue of the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:

SECTION 1: A Governor's School-to-Work Council (hereafter "Council") shall be established within the Executive Branch, Office of the Governor.

SECTION 2: All members of the council shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The council shall be composed of a Management Team, an Implementation Team, and an Advisory Team. The membership of those three teams shall be as follows:

  • (A) The membership of the Management Team shall consist of the following:

  • (1) at least five representatives of business;

  • (2) at least one representative of organized labor;

  • (3) at least one representative of a training entity or organization;

  • (4) at least one representative of Louisiana high school students;

  • (5) the Chair of the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee of the Louisiana House of Representatives, or the chair's designee;

  • (6) the Chair of the Education Committee of the Louisiana Senate, or the chair's designee; and

  • (7) the Governor of the State of Louisiana, or the Governor's designee.

  • (B) The membership of the Implementation Team shall consist of the following:

  • (1) the Secretary of the Department of Labor, or the secretary's designee;

  • (2) the Secretary of the Department of Economic Development, or the secretary's designee;

  • (3) the Secretary of the Department of Social Services, or the secretary's designee;

  • (4) the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or the secretary's designee;

  • (5) the Superintendent of Education, or the superintendent's designee; and

  • (6) at least two representatives of regional School-to-Work program partnerships;

  • (7) at least two representatives of employers involved with a School-to-Work program;

  • (8) at least one representative of organized labor involved with a School-to-Work program;

  • (9) at least one representative of Louisiana high school students;

  • (10) at least one representative of parents of Louisiana high school students; and

  • (11) at least two representatives of the Office of the Governor.

  • (C) The membership of the Advisory Team shall consist of persons who are interested in and who have a specialized skill or knowledge beneficial to the School-to-Work program, and who are a member of or affiliated with a professional organization; the administration of a college, university or technical school; a recognized special interest group; a youth development organization; or a community-based non-profit organization.

    • SECTION 3: The chair of the council shall be appointed by the Governor.

    SECTION 4: The council shall oversee implementation of a comprehensive School-to-Work plan for the state of Louisiana. Accordingly, the council's functions include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • (A) spreading School-to-Work programs throughout every geographic area of the state of Louisiana, especially in economic development districts;

  • (B) securing funding for School-to-Work Programs from private, public, and federal sources;

  • (C) recruiting employer and employee partners for School-to-Work Programs;

  • (D) awarding and overseeing regional partnership grants;

  • (E) coordinating the content and framework of School-to-Work Programs and incorporating industry-recognized skill standards and assessment methodologies;

  • (F) facilitating the development and training of staff for School-to-Work Programs and program partners;

  • (H) proposing School-to-Work Program legislation;

  • (I) linking School-to-Work Programs with other public and private workforce development efforts; and

  • (J) continually working to improve the statewide School-to-Work Program system.

    • SECTION 5: The council shall submit the School-to-Work Plan and all applications for federal grants and funding for School-to-Work Programs to the Governor for approval prior to their submission to the United States Secretary of Education and/or Secretary of Labor.

    SECTION 6: The council shall report to the Governor quarterly and annually on all aspects of its administration of the School-to-Work Program. The reports to the Governor shall be made available to School-to-Work Program partners.

    SECTION 7: Support staff for the council and facilities for their meetings shall be provided by the Office of the Governor.

    SECTION 8: Council members shall not receive compensation or a per diem, nor shall they be reimbursed for travel expenses for their attendance at meetings. Nonetheless, for special events which necessitate overnight accommodations, the travel and accommodation expenses incurred while attending such meetings may be reimbursed, in accordance with state guidelines and procedures, upon the approval of the Commissioner of the Division of Administration.

    SECTION 9: All departments, commissions, boards, agencies, and officers of the state, or any political subdivisions thereof, are authorized and directed to cooperate with the council in implementing the provisions of this Order.

    SECTION 10: The provisions of this Order are effective upon signature and shall remain in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the Governor, or terminated by operation of law.

    IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the City of Baton Rouge, on this 30th day of August, 1996.

    M.J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.
    Governor

    ATTEST BY THE
    GOVERNOR
    Fox McKeithen
    Secretary of State