Committee questions $2.8M increase for second 'Be Pro/Be Proud' mobile trailer and asks for outcome data

Tina Hammonds, speaking for the Department of Education, described the Be Pro/Be Proud mobile workforce exploration unit and said the department is seeking to extend the first unit’s usage and fund a second trailer. “We have had a lot of success with this, over 250 requests for it to come to different locations, over 10,000 impressions in the first year with the first truck,” Hammonds said, noting the program began touring in February and produced “85 tour days with 10,016 people” in its initial run.

Committee members questioned cost and duplication of in‑state resources. One representative noted prior in‑state programs that offered traveling workforce experiences and asked whether this purchase duplicates existing work. Another senator argued attendance alone is the wrong measure and said the committee needs data on whether participants later entered relevant careers: “How many kids come to the truck is not what we need to measure… What they're doing after that is what we need to measure.”

Hammonds said she could supply expenditures and operational breakdowns and offered to connect members with workforce staff who track longer-term outcomes; members asked the department to provide any available impact assessments and information on similar programs in other states. The committee placed the item on hold pending further answers about effectiveness and cost justification.

Why it matters: The proposed additional unit and extension would increase state spending on mobile workforce outreach and could shape how career exposure is measured and accounted for in state workforce development strategies.

What’s next: The Department of Education will provide detailed cost breakdowns, documentation of program outcomes and any comparative evaluations from other states before the committee considers the request further.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 439, topfinish SEG 656