Report

DELEGATION MEMBERS AND STAFF

From 10–13 December 2015, two Vice-Chairs from the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG) – Senator Michael L. MacDonald and Senator Wilfred Moore, Q.C. – led a delegation to the Annual National Conference of the Council of State Governments (CSG) in Nashville, Tennessee. The other members of the delegation were Senator Jane Cordy and Senator Dan Lang. The delegation was accompanied by Ms. June Dewetering, Senior Advisor to the Canadian Section.

THE EVENT

The CSG serves all three branches of state government and provides regional fora – the western, midwestern, southern and eastern regional conferences – through which ideas and insights are exchanged with a view to shaping public policy.

Each year, the CSG convenes a national conference, which is attended by selected governors and state legislators from throughout the United States. In addition to this annual conference, the CSG’s various regions hold an annual meeting.

DELEGATION OBJECTIVES FOR THE EVENT

The national CSG conference provides members of the IPG’s Canadian Section with an important opportunity to speak with state legislators and selected governors from throughout the United States. These interactions enable these members to achieve the aim of finding points of convergence in respective policies, initiating dialogue on points of divergence, encouraging exchanges of information and promoting better understanding among legislators on shared issues of concern. Moreover, the meetings provide the Canadian Section’s members with an opportunity to give input to, and gather information about, state-level issues that affect Canada.

ACTIVITIES AT THE EVENT

The following plenary, committee, task force and other sessions were held at the 2015 national conference of the CSG:

·Career Pathways and Innovative Delivery Models in Post-Secondary Education

·Pensions and Retirement Security

·Navigating the Trans-Pacific Partnership

·The Triple Helix: Government, Academia and the Private Sector Working Together to Create Jobs

·Improving State Elections for Military, Overseas Voters

·State Pathways to Prosperity – Workforce and Economic Development Roundtable

·The Knowledge Economy – America’s Economic Development Engine

·Federal Funding Challenges, State Funding Solutions

·The Causes, Costs and Consequences of Bad Government Data

·Found in Translation: Global Protocol for Foreign Delegations

·Innovation and Cybersecurity – Payment Card Developments

·Keynote: Hampton Sides

·Getting More Bang for the Buck

·Aging Out of Foster Care

·Next Generation Education Systems – A 51st State Model

·Federal Energy Regulations: Challenges and Opportunities for States

·Drug Overdoses – What’s a State To Do?

·Need Not Apply? Improving Employment Outcomes for Ex-Offenders

·Building a Smart Community

·Civics Education in the States

·E-Cigarette Regulation and Taxation

·Keynote: Frederick Smith

·Suggested State Legislation

·Cybersecurity and Cyber Breach Notification.

This report summarizes the discussions that occurred at selected sessions.

CAREER PATHWAYS AND INNOVATIVE DELIVERY MODELS IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

Amy Lloyd, Jobs for the Future

·More than one half of Americans 25 years of age have no post-secondary credential with which to enter the job market.

·By 2020, 65% of American jobs will require some post-secondary education.

·About 29 million American adults lack a high school diploma or the General Educational Development equivalency.

·Approximately 65% of American students entering community colleges are referred for remedial education and 25% of these students complete their community college credential within eight years of enrolment.

·Every student should have clear college and career goals, and the supports that they need for success.

·Educational credentials should be:

Øindustry-recognized;

Øportable;

Østackable; and

Øthird-party validated or accredited.

·In the United States, the “credentialing ecosystem” is chaotic.

·In 2010, more than 900,000 sub-baccalaureate certificates were awarded by U.S. colleges, and most were not national in scope; as well, there were more than 4,000 credentialing bodies, with fewer than 10% accredited or reviewed by a third party.

·The characteristics of “high quality” credentials should be defined, and institutions should receive incentives to produce credentials that meet standards for high quality.

·Data systems that would track student outcomes and link various credentials to job attainment and retention, as well as levels of compensation, should be developed.

·Metrics that measure student success, retention, persistence and completion should be developed.

·Colleges should work with high schools, adult basic education service providers and workforce program developers to align curricula with needs and expectations.

·Colleges should use multiple and holistic placement measures, and should receive incentives to ensure the delivery of education that is contextualized.

·Students learn about the “world of work” through being in a workplace.

·Employer engagement in education is key; employers should be involved in identifying the skills that will be needed for the future and in building curricula, as well as in providing work-based learning opportunities through internships, apprenticeships and other on-the-job training opportunities.

·Early and deep employer engagement leads to jobs for graduates; this engagement could take the following forms:

Øgrades 9 and 10: awareness and exploration through speakers, company tours, etc.

Øgrades 11 and 12: preparation through job shadowing, mentorships, class projects, etc.

Øgrades “13 and 14”: training and application through internships, apprenticeships, faculty externships, mentorships, etc.

·It is difficult to train students for the workplace of today and tomorrow using the technology of yesterday.

Sean Tierney, Lumina Foundation

·Increasingly, a college education is needed in order to have a “middle-class life.”

·About 96% of Americans think it is somewhat or very important to have a degree or professional certification, but there are barriers; the barriers include the following:

Øaffordability;

Ølack of student supports;

Øa structure that is inappropriate for working adults; and

Øa system that is institution-focused rather than student-focused.

·Students should be the focal point of higher education.

·Learning should be recognized wherever it takes place.

Wilson Finch, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

·Prior learning assessment is a process for evaluating knowledge and skills, leading to the awarding of college credits for learning that has occurred through on-the-job training, independent study, military service, volunteer activities, training courses, work experience, etc.

·A system of competency-based education awards credits on the basis of demonstrated mastery of competencies required in a given area of study, with competency gaps filled through teaching or other resources.

·The prior learning assessment and competency-based education options often involve lower costs and less “educational” time for students; partly for these reasons, they target adult students and attract adults back to education.

·Adults need educational programming that is characterized by the following:

Ømore flexibility;

Øa career focus;

Øpositive valuation of experience and maturity;

Øminimal sources of frustration; and

Øadult-specific supports.

Brian Sponsler, Education Commission of the States

·Post-secondary education should be aligned with workforce needs; in seeking this alignment, the focus should include the following:

Øensuring a high return on investment for individual degrees;

Øcreating employable graduates; and

Øproviding incentives and taking actions to create or strengthen connections.

·Student achievement and workforce preparedness should be tracked.

Tom Plath, International Paper

·By 2020, millennials will be one half of the American workforce.

·For millennials, work-life integration – not work-life balance – is key.

·Millennials prefer structure over ambiguity, and society has a “structured generation” living in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

·Mobility is an increasingly important issue; there are fewer people moving now than at any other time since the 1950s.

·The top 10 jobs that employers worldwide are having trouble filling are the following:

Øskilled trade professional;

Ødriver;

Øteacher;

Øsales representative;

Øadministrative professional;

Ømanager/executive;

Ønurse;

Øtechnician;

Øaccounting and finance professional; and

Øengineer.

·Manufacturing jobs need to be “re-branded.”

·People are working longer, primarily because of the costs of health care.

NAVIGATING THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP

Ed Gresser, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

·For the United States, the greatest opportunities exist outside the country’s borders.

·The United States has an increasing need to access foreign markets; since the global financial crisis, Americans have become more cautious, with the result that companies must look for other sources of demand if they want to expand.

·An increase in U.S. exports leads to the creation of “good-paying” jobs.

·Access to markets in the Asia-Pacific region is important to U.S. growth; people in those markets are the largest purchasers of luxury goods and their middle-classes are growing.

·American manufacturers are facing disproportionate tariffs.

·The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement (FTA) is large, comprehensive and future-oriented; for example, its 30 chapters address a broad range of topics, including market access, sanitary and phyto-sanitary barriers, regulatory policies, technical standards, intellectual property, state-owned enterprises, government procurement and the digital economy.

Brie Knox, U.S. Department of Commerce

·Collectively, the TPP countries are responsible for 40% of global gross domestic product and more than 800 million consumers.

·Prior to the TPP agreement, the United States had an FTA with some – but not all – TPP countries.

·There has been significant growth in U.S. exports to TPP countries since 2009, and 177,000 U.S. companies exported to TPP markets in 2012.

·The TPP agreement will lead to more “Made in America” exports and highly compensated jobs, as well as lower prices and more choice for consumers.

·The TPP agreement has the highest labour standards in the history of FTAs, and high environmental standards.

THE TRIPLE HELIX: GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE JOBS

Brad Fenwick, Elsevier

·It is important that governments, academia and the private sector “partner for growth.”

·The discovery of “new knowledge” occurs in academia, not in industry.

·Regions should identify their competitive advantage in the knowledge economy, and the data that they can use to market those advantages.

·Collaborations should be “mapped”: where they are occurring, and where they are not occurring but should be happening.

Anthony Boccanfuso, University Industry Demonstration Partnership

·Universities should be thought of as Fortune 500 companies.

·Rules and regulations affect university-industry engagement, and states should create a “fertile environment” to support this engagement.

·As more sales occur overseas, more research and development will be done overseas.

·When locating, companies think about countries, not states.

Taylor Eighmy, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

·Innovation is “driving” new economies.

·Collaboration is important.

·University knowledge enterprises have a role to play in “driving” economic development.

Mark Meares, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

·Universities and companies often have different priorities, but they want – and need – each other.

·Universities and industry should have a more collaborative relationship, and should share intellectual property, equipment, facilities, personnel, etc.

Keith Brainard, National Association of State Retirement Administrators

·The most important factor affecting public pensions is the funding of the plans.

·Pensions can be seen as costs, or they can be seen as benefits because pension payments are spent in communities.

·Salaries are an important factor affecting the health of public pensions; liabilities grow as salaries grow.

THE CAUSES, COSTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF BAD GOVERNMENT DATA

Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene, Council of State Governments

·A tremendous amount of data are available, and there are “great visions” about what can be done with them.

·Data can be used to improve public policy and decisions, and to “make things better.”

·Too often, data are “siloed”; this “siloing” can occur for many reasons, some of which are technological.

KEYNOTE

Hampton Sides, Author and Editor

·Faith in God and a sense of humour are among the tools that help people get through difficult situations.

·Important qualities for survival include the following:

Øbeing optimistic;

Øengaging in teamwork;

Øhaving a routine;

Øhaving a sense of humour;

Øhaving faith, including in the ability to make it through difficult situations;

Øbeing stoic;

Øhaving humility; and

Øbeing able to improvise.

GETTING MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK

Joshua Sharfstein, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

·Better health at lower cost could be achieved by paying for health care differently.

·Financial incentives should be aligned with the notion of better health.

·A hospital’s goal should be to treat patients in such a manner that a patient never has to return to the hospital.

MaryBeth Musumeci, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured

·The goal of the United States’ Affordable Care Act is to make health care coverage more available, reliable and affordable.

·The federal government pays for most costs to cover those who are newly eligible for Medicaid.

Darin Gordon, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration

·Medicaid is the United States’ third-largest payer for health care.

·An important goal is high-quality health care at a sustainable cost.

·There is a need to simplify systems, “leverage” data assets more effectively and align incentives with desired outcomes.

·Data are needed in order to develop and implement appropriate strategies.

·Physical health services and mental health services should be better integrated.

·Payment incentives should be designed in a manner that pays health care professionals for keeping people healthy.

NEED NOT APPLY? IMPROVING EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR
EX-OFFENDERS

Stephanie Akhter, Council of State Governments

·There is a need to connect people who have a criminal record with jobs, and to engage businesses in hiring these individuals.

·Businesses can become engaged in hiring those who have a criminal record by responding to concerns that employers may have about hiring such individuals; in part, employer-to-employer discussions that involve sharing success stories may be useful.

·Employment challenges regarding those who have a criminal record include the following:

Østatutory barriers;

Øa lack of “soft” skills; and

Øa lack of marketable skills.

·Workforce development efforts in relation to those who have a criminal record could include the following:

Øvocational training;

Ø“soft” skills training;

Øjob readiness training;

Øcognitive behavioural programming; and

Øpartnerships with local employers.

·Those who have a criminal record should be provided with an opportunity to become a taxpayer, rather than a “tax taker.”

Madeleine Neighly, Council of State Governments

·Various policy strategies could improve access to employment for people who have a criminal record, including in the following areas:

Øemployer hiring practices;

Østatutory employment barriers; and

Øcriminal record policies.

·In terms of employer hiring practices, it might be possible to do the following:

ØProhibit certain criminal record information from being considered during the hiring process.

ØAllow consideration of specific job-related convictions only.

ØProvide job applicants who have a criminal record with an opportunity to explain the circumstances giving rise to their crime.

·In terms of statutory employment barriers, it might be possible to lessen restrictions in relation to professional licensing.

·In terms of criminal record policies, it might be possible to do the following:

ØAllow accused individuals to check their criminal record, since records are often inaccurate, such as might occur if someone has a common name.

ØEstablish timelines for clearing criminal records in relation to certain crimes.

·A key question is: should every sentence be a life sentence?

THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY – AMERICA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENGINE

Brad Fenwick, Elsevier

·Basic research is a “driver” of economic prosperity, and it yields short-term economic activity and long-term economic growth.

·To a great extent, basic research is funded by federal governments, with industry, universities and foundations “filling the void.”

·Research requires substantial investments, but the “payoffs” are worth the investments that are required.

·States should identify their unique strengths in relation to innovation, and should direct resources to marketing those strengths.

Taylor Eighmy, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

·It is time to “get smart” about developing a knowledge economy through the involvement of universities.

·University knowledge enterprises help to “drive” economic development.

·At the core of the innovation ecosystem is discovery enterprise: ideas, collaboration and knowledge transfer.

Anthony Boccanfuso, University Industry Demonstration Partnership

·The United States’ higher education system continues to be the envy of the world.

·Companies want to work with universities because they want access to “talent,” including students and faculty.

·Companies can “source talent” globally.

·There is some pressure to conduct research in the countries where sales occur.

KEYNOTE

Frederick Smith, FedEx Corporation

·There are three categories of “things to do” to create a healthier economy; they are:

ØFoster technology and innovation.

ØFocus on training the workforce of the future.

ØAddress trade and infrastructure issues.

·Innovation is the “holy grail” of businesses and consumers worldwide.

·Businesses with outmoded technologies fall behind competitors, and may fail.

·It is important to be focused; a failure to focus leads to confusion.

·“New thinking” by employees should be rewarded, and “kaleidoscope thinking” should be used to identify different solutions to problems.

·“Staying aloft” is more important than “getting aloft.”

·The United States needs broader participation in global trade; more than 95% of the world’s consumers reside outside the United States.

·Some countries are raising trade barriers and implementing other protectionist measures.

·With the TPP agreement, the demand for American exports will rise, as will business investment; the result will be job growth.

·There is a need for investments in infrastructure, including in the transportation networks that are required to get goods to market efficiently.

·Public investment in U.S. infrastructure is at a level not seen since 1947.

CYBERSECURITY AND CYBER BREACH NOTIFICATION

Doug Robinson, National Association of State Chief Information Officers

·People and businesses ignore cyber threats at their peril.

·Security is not just a technological issue; it “takes a village” to protect against cyber breaches.

·Cyber breaches of government systems cause citizens to lose trust in their governments.

·The “root causes” of a data breach are thought to be the following:

Øhuman error: 31%;

Øcriminal behaviour: 44%; and

Øsystem glitches: 25%.

·With ongoing concerns about cybersecurity, there is a need to reduce risks; risks include hacking by criminals and nation states, ransomware and threats to critical infrastructure, such as water systems and the electrical grid.

·There is often a “disconnect” between the cyber strategy that is needed and the budget that is available.

·There is a “talent crisis” in relation to cybersecurity professionals.

Vinay Dattu, Tennessee General Assembly

·Most states have sites where they back up their data; some states use the cloud, which is an operational expense, while others store the data onsite, which is a capital expense.

·Not all data can be treated in the same way; it is important to identify the information that is the most important, the reasons why that information is the most important, and the consequences of not having that information.

·It is relatively easy to build a profile that includes someone’s name and address, when and where he/she shops, what he/she buys, how much he/she spends, etc.

 

Respectfully submitted,