AN ACT Relating to a state industrial training program in the community colleges; adding a new chapter to Title 28B RCW; making an appropriation; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a Washington state industrial training program for new and expanding industries, to encourage new industries to locate in the state of Washington, and to encourage existing industries to expand their operations in this state. The program shall offer to the people of Washington the specific training needed to qualify for and to perform in jobs created by new and expanding industries and help each new and expanding industry create a productive work force as expeditiously and efficiently as possible. The program should help better utilize the resources and talents in the community college system. The industrial training program is intended to be a cooperative venture between new and expanding industries and the state to create production employees with needed specific job skills.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) Community college means community college as defined in chapter 28B.50 RCW.

(2) District means any one of the community college districts in the state of Washington.

(3) Industrial training means the training that prepares an individual for employment not requiring a baccalaureate degree.

(4) Industry means any company registered with the state.

(5) New and expanding industries means industries creating jobs which did not previously exist in the state.

(6) Operating costs mean all costs necessary to implement the program.

(7) Trainee means any unemployed resident of the state who meets the job qualifications of a company and is accepted for the training program under this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The industrial training program is established. The state board for community college education shall administer and be responsible for the program. The board shall form an industry services department which shall employ professionals experienced in aiding the state's community college districts to design and operate specialized training programs for new and expanding industries. This department shall work cooperatively with the departments of commerce and economic development, employment security, and planning and community affairs, the commission for vocational education, and with the office of the governor and others in the recruitment of new industries to the state. Representatives from these departments shall form a recruitment team which may meet with out-of-state and existing companies interested in expanding in or moving to this state. The team shall work with these interested companies in order to expedite the process of the company locating or expanding in this state and creating jobs for the citizens of this state.

(2) The industrial training specialists representing the state board for community college education and the community college districts may visit the existing operations of a company and study the job skills, work schedules, production processes, and any other factors necessary to preparing an industrial training proposal suited specifically to that company's particular labor needs. Upon contractual agreement, the state shall ensure the company locating in Washington that the specialized training program will be ready to commence at the time construction is begun on a new facility or a formal facility lease is signed and that a trained work force will be available by the time plant operations begin.

(3) The content of the training program shall be designed by the participating industry's personnel, the state board for community college education, and the community college serving the area in which the industry is or will be located. The local community college shall provide all instructors necessary to operate the training programs. If a participating company prefers to use some of its own personnel as instructors, the local community college shall pay the salaries of those instructors if the instructors meet the college's approval. Each prospective instructor shall participate in an instructor-development workshop of not less than two days sponsored and administered by the local community college in conjunction with the participating business or industry.

(4) The instruction classes shall be conducted on the sponsoring community college campus, at the company's plant, or other available facilities. If none of these alternatives is practical, state funds may be used to lease adequate training space in the community where the company is located. The training period may last as long as is necessary to meet the training objectives as negotiated by the state board for community college education, the eligible community college, and the participating company.

(5) To effectively and efficiently operate the industrial training program it is the responsibility of:

(a) The state board for community college education to ensure that a suitable training plan is developed for each participating industry and that each approved program is adequately funded;

(b) The sponsoring community college to administer the program under the plan and all applicable state and local laws, ordinances, and rules;

(c) The participating company to provide appropriate information and assistance to the program planning process and to recruit and refer trainees to the training program;

(d) The trainee to work and study diligently in order to master the job skills and knowledge in the training program.

(6) The state board for community college education may implement other procedures and structures to effectively and efficiently operate the industrial training program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The industrial training program shall be available to any new or expanding industry which creates a minimum of twelve new jobs which did not previously exist in the state. Any company with a job that can be defined and arranged into a logical learning sequence shall be eligible to participate in the training program and the program may be used for any job which can be defined and arranged in a logical training pattern. Any new or prospective trainee referred to training by a participating company or its employment agent is eligible for enrollment in the program.

The state board for community college education shall not require an employer to select or hire a particular trainee. Upon request from a company, the sponsoring community college or the department of employment security shall screen and test job candidates. Those applicants meeting the criteria established for a particular job shall be referred to the company for further evaluation.

Employees may be trained before they are hired or after they are hired. If a company hires a trainee the company shall pay the trainee the prevailing wage. The wages of a trainee shall not be paid by the state.

The state-sponsored training through the community college districts may continue as long as the company continues to create enough new jobs to justify the investment of training funds. The state board for community college education shall determine whether or not the company continues to be eligible.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) The industrial training program shall be funded by the state and the participating company. The state board for community college education shall be authorized to use up to four percent of the state appropriated funds for the administration of the program and shall distribute the remaining appropriated funds to the community college districts on a project basis to provide the funding for the industrial training program for the following purposes:

(a) Salaries, wages, and approved travel expenses of instructors, instructor candidates, and certain administrative personnel;

(b) Nonsalvageable production materials consumed in the training process;

(d) The costs of leasing and operating temporary training facilities;

(e) Conventional equipment which can be used in a variety of training applications. Moneys shall not be used to purchase specialized equipment useful only for the production processes of a particular company or industry;

(f) Any other items or services directly related to the training program.

(2) Standard equipment normally associated with technical training, and all classroom materials such as textbooks, and visual aids shall be provided by the state. The participating industry or company shall furnish any specialized equipment necessary for its particular products or processes. The state shall reimburse the participating industry or company for fifty percent of the nonsalvageable materials expended in the training effort, up to a maximum of one hundred dollars for each new job created if the expenditure has been approved in writing by the state board for community college education.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. There is appropriated to the state board for community college education from the general fund for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, the sum of five million dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 5 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 28B RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1985.