D25A REPRESENTATIVE LANCE CLOW  

IDAHO LAUNCH GRANT PROGRAM: NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENTS

The Idaho Launch Grant Program was created in 2023 with the passage of HB024. While I found the bill important, it lacked essential details regarding implementation. This program aims to fund training and education programs to increase qualified employment opportunities in
high-demand careers. The funding plan originated from HB001, passed during an extraordinary legislative session on September 1, 2022, to redirect $80 million of state sales tax revenues into the In-Demand Career Fund.

I supported the concept and voted in favor of both HB001 and HB024. My vote on HB024 surprised many, including both sponsors and opponents. This surprise arose because HB024, the Idaho Launch Grant Program, was introduced in the House Education Committee, where I had significant concerns about its implementation. I debated in the committee, hoping the bill would be held and reintroduced with modifications. Consequently, I voted “no” in committee, yet it advanced to the House.

The key issues I identified and debated during the committee included the elimination of the Opportunity Scholarship Program. HB024 redirected these scholarship funds into the Launch Program, which was problematic for me. I was also concerned that we needed to invest first in the capacity of in-demand career training programs. Making the full $80 million available to students in the 2025 Fiscal Year seemed too rapid. Preparing students for in-demand careers requires investments in higher education and public schools to increase training capacity. For instance, the College of Southern Idaho’s Veterinarian Tech Program currently has a capacity of 40 students, which represents two years (cohorts of 20). Because of the limits on capacity, they carry a waiting list of 10 students. To increase the number of qualified Vet Techs, the program would need a larger facility and more equipment. Staffing could be covered by tuition, but without adequate facilities, student grants alone won't provide the opportunity to increase this in-demand career. This issue extends to other careers like nursing, dental hygiene, electricians, plumbers, building industry professionals, power linemen, HVAC technicians, welders, public school teachers, para-educators, engineers, and law enforcement officers. I would have preferred to see increased capacity in these programs to boost the number of graduates.

Another weakness of the Launch Program is its focus solely on the current graduating high school class each year. While these incentives may guide students into high-demand careers, many past high school graduates might also benefit from these grants, encouraging them to pursue formal training in lucrative, high-demand fields. Also, a program like CSI’s Vet Tech, mentioned previously, has students on a waiting list. If they must wait one year, they lose the Launch Grant because the program was designed for the most recent graduates, and obviously, they were delayed one year because of a capacity shortage.

Several changes were made to the Launch Program with a trailer bill, S1187. One key change was reinstating the Opportunity Scholarship Program, though it initially prohibited the use of these scholarships at community colleges. In 2024, I sponsored HB500 to correct this, allowing Opportunity Scholarships to be used at community colleges while preventing double-dipping between the two programs.

The definition of in-demand careers needs to focus on current workforce needs and long-term planning. Unfortunately, the lack of capacity in our colleges and public CTE programs delays a significant impact on the workforce. By investing in capacity, we can provide the necessary tools for our citizens to make informed career choices within one or two years of training. The goal of the program is to increase the inventory of candidates for in-demand careers.

My legislative goals include ensuring that the $80 million has an immediate impact on the workforce shortage in high-demand careers. We need to invest more in training program capacity and narrow the list of high-demand careers to prioritize those that can be achieved within one or two years. Long-term education requirements for careers such as teaching, nursing, and engineering should also be included, especially programs that can get candidates into new careers within two years. Furthermore, priority should be given to candidates from previous graduating classes. Although several changes have been made since HB024 passed, including SB1187, there is still room for improvement. We need to ensure that more qualified candidates are ready to enter the workforce, not simply decrease the costs of education with no improvement in outcomes. It would be my short-term expectation that a working group of stakeholders meet to consider the above recommendations and how Launch can be modified to assure the outcomes match the investment.

Representative Lance Clow
District 25 – Twin Falls
2170 Bitterroot Drive
Twin Falls, ID 83301
(208) 733-5767