Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, has been appointed to serve on five select committees in the state Assembly. Speaker John A. Pérez has named Wilk to the select committees on Biotechnology; Community Colleges; Addressing Out of School, Unemployed Youth; Status of Boys and Men of Color in California; and Youth and California’s Future. Each committee plays into a long-time interest of the Santa Clarita assemblyman.

For his work on the Biotechnology select committee, Wilk wants to focus on retaining and trying to enhance our local biotechnology sector. “In Santa Clarita we have a biotechnology hub off Tourney Road and Kelly Johnson Parkway. We’ve got Boston Scientific, Advanced Bionics, Specialty Labs. The average job in biotechnology is $70,000 and it’s a clean industry, so this is an industry that we want to continue to foster,” said Wilk.

As a former board member of College of the Canyons in Valencia, Wilk is also delighted to serve on the Community Colleges select committee. “Over the next five years, 43% of all new job creation in the state is going to be what’s called ‘middle skill jobs’ – jobs that need more than a high school education but less than a four year degree,” said Wilk. “Those programs are going to be taught at the community college level.”

In his role on the Addressing Out of School, Unemployed Youth select committee, Wilk wants to focus on special educational programs, tax incentives or private sector initiatives to drive down unemployment rates among young people.

And for his work on the Status of Boys and Men of Color in California and the Youth and California’s Future select committees, Wilk believes the lawmakers will have to focus on both an economic as well as a social component to the issues at hand. “A large problem that we have in the African-American community is the breakdown of the family unit,” said Wilk. “So again, we’re going to look at ways to strengthen families and improve the educational opportunities for Latino and African-American young people, and (specifically) men.”

In addition to serving on these select committees, Assemblyman Wilk sits on the Assembly Health, Higher Education, Business and Professions, and Arts and Entertainment committees. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee.