1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; requiring the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota 
1.3 	State Colleges and Universities to study technical education credentials.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. STUDY OF CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS; EDUCATIONAL 
1.6 	CAREER PATH.
 1.7 	The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, in 
1.8 	conjunction with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, representatives of industry 
1.9 	groups, and labor unions, shall study the program requirements for certificates and 
1.10 	diplomas awarded by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to determine the 
1.11 	feasibility of designing technical education programs to allow students to have more 
1.12 	opportunities to earn credentials with lower credit requirements that could be combined 
1.13 	into higher level certificates or diplomas. The study must consult with business and 
1.14 	industry representatives as well as labor unions and faculty on the types of credentials that 
1.15 	would be recognized for employment purposes. In addition, the study must address the 
1.16 	feasibility of increasing the capacity to accumulate credentials in related programs into 
1.17 	an educational career path leading to a diploma or degree. The study must also address 
1.18 	the need for workers in other fields and take into account other job training programs 
1.19 	provided by labor unions and business.
1.20 	The board must report the study findings to the committees of the legislature with 
1.21 	responsibility for postsecondary education finance by February 15, 2011.