Section 1790.

The Legislature finds and declares: (1) that young people who have dropped out of high school, thereby failing to receive a minimum education, are faced with limited opportunities and employment barriers because of their lack of training and skills; (2) that such young people comprise a disproportionatel y large segment of the unemployed or unemployables in this state; (3) that such young people are disproportionately involved in juvenile delinquency and youth offenses; (4) that such young people comprise a disproportionate share of those on the welfare rolls; (5) that there is an increasing shortage of the skilled and trained workers needed because of rapid technological change; (6) that many such young people by aptitude are not suited for purely academic studies; (7) that many such young people would benefit from technical, agricultural and natural resource conservation training so as to become independent, productive workers; and (8) that such technical, agricultural and natural resource conservation training would provide skilled workers needed by our rapidly developing technology.

It is the intent and purpose of the Legislature to encourage the establishment of technical, agricultural and natural resource conservation schools in those areas of the state where they are needed in order to reduce the number of school dropouts, combat juvenile delinquency, and to provide more skilled and trained workers. The provisions of this article shall be liberally construed to carry out these intents and purposes.

(Enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)