"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the education and skills of Washington's workforce is a major determinant of the state's economic growth, and that finding regional solutions to the state's workforce needs are of paramount concern. The legislature further recognizes that different areas of the state will need the flexibility to fashion local solutions to their economic and workforce strengths and challenges, and that regional workforce systems may evolve over time.
     The legislature finds that while the workforce system in Washington is operated by numerous entities, each with a critical role, it should function as one interconnected and coordinated system. Workforce development planning, at the regional level, should be coordinated with regional strategic plans. Further, regional and state plans should be coordinated to achieve both statewide and local workforce development goals. To facilitate this coordination and cooperation among state and local regions, the legislature declares it to be in the state's interest to establish a coordinated planning program for regional workforce development systems throughout the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature authorizes a program under which local workforce development councils shall serve as the lead regional workforce development planning organizations within their regions. In this capacity, each local council shall:
     (a) Convene the following entities that are located or provide services within its region:
     (i) Community and technical colleges;
     (ii) Economic development councils;
     (iii) The employment security department;
     (iv) Small business development centers;
     (v) Skill centers;
     (vi) Public four-year institutions of higher education;
     (vii) Private two and four-year postsecondary institutions;
     (viii) Apprenticeship programs;
     (ix) Secondary career and technical education programs; and
     (x) Other public, private, and nonprofit workforce-related entities;
     (b) Adopt and periodically update a consensus skills-based economic growth plan for the region. This plan shall clearly articulate the connection between the industry sectors the community is targeting for growth and the skills training programs that the community is targeting for expansion. The plan shall include, but is not limited to:
     (i) Data on current and projected employment opportunities in the local area;
     (ii) Identification of workforce investment needs of existing businesses and businesses considering location in the region;
     (iii) Identification of educational, training, employment, and support service needs of jobseekers and workers in the local area;
     (iv) Analysis of the industry demand, potential labor force supply, and educational, employment, and workforce support available to businesses and jobseekers in the region;
     (v) Development of industry cluster-based strategies to support the regional economy, facilitate technology transfer and diffusion, and increase value-added production;
     (vi) Identification of the needs of those clusters, including determining what sources of programs and initiatives are needed to attract, grow, retain, and support those industries;
     (vii) Recommendations for the most efficient use of existing workforce infrastructure and funding to maximize service to individuals and industry; and
     (viii) Creation of a financial plan demonstrating how the regional workforce plan can be implemented, including all resources that are reasonably expected to be made available to carry out the plan, and recommending any techniques to leverage and increase available resources and services to individual and industry customers.
     (2) This section does not relieve workforce development councils of any planning requirements that exist under federal law, that are not included in this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Workforce development councils may submit an application to participate in the skills-based economic growth program under this section. The board shall review the applications to ensure they meet the criteria for the program.
     (2) A workforce development council participating in the program under this section shall convene other local workforce development agencies and develop a skills-based economic growth plan for their region that is supported by the local workforce development agencies. The plan must be adopted within their region by November 30, 2008, and approved by the board by February 15, 2009.
     (3) A workforce development council participating in the program under this section shall establish procedures to track and annually report: The amount of new state and nonstate funding brought into the community as a result of the skills-based economic growth planning process; training capacity expansion achieved in programs targeted by the plan; impact on local economic growth; and the impact on career opportunities for local residents.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the board shall create the local skills-based economic growth planning program. The board shall determine the criteria for the distribution of funds for the program.
     (2) The board may, in implementing this section, accept, use, and dispose of contributions of money, services, and property. All moneys received by the board for the purposes of this section must be deposited in a depository approved by the state treasurer. Only the board or a duly authorized representative thereof may authorize expenditures from this account. In order to maintain an effective expenditure and revenue control, the account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required to permit expenditure of moneys in the account.

Sec. 5   RCW 28C.18.010 and 1996 c 99 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this title.
     (1) "Board" means the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (2) "Director" means the director of the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (3) "Training system" means programs and courses of secondary vocational education, technical college programs and courses, community college vocational programs and courses, private career school and college programs and courses, employer-sponsored training, adult basic education programs and courses, programs and courses funded by the ((job training partnership)) federal workforce investment act, programs and courses funded by the federal vocational act, programs and courses funded under the federal adult education act, publicly funded programs and courses for adult literacy education, and apprenticeships, and programs and courses offered by private and public nonprofit organizations that are representative of communities or significant segments of communities and provide job training or adult literacy services.
     (4) "Workforce skills" means skills developed through applied learning that strengthen and reinforce an individual's academic knowledge, critical thinking, problem solving, and work ethic and, thereby, develop the employability, occupational skills, and management of home and work responsibilities necessary for economic independence.
     (5) "Vocational education" means organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation or retraining of individuals in paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree. Such programs shall include competency-based applied learning which contributes to an individual's academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning, and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, and the occupational-specific skills necessary for economic independence as a productive and contributing member of society. Such term also includes applied technology education.
     (6) "Adult basic education" means instruction designed to achieve mastery of skills in reading, writing, oral communication, and computation at a level sufficient to allow the individual to function effectively as a parent, worker, and citizen in the United States, commensurate with that individual's actual ability level, and includes English as a second language and preparation and testing service for the general education development exam.
     (7) "Workforce development council" means workforce investment board as established in Public Law 105-220 Sec. 117.
     (8) "Industry skill panel" means a regional partnership of business, labor, and education leaders that identifies skill gaps in a key economic cluster and enables the industry and public partners to respond to and be proactive in addressing workforce skill needs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to funding provided for the purposes of this section, the board, in consultation with the state board for community and technical colleges, the department of community, trade, and economic development, and the employment security department, shall allocate grants on a competitive basis to establish and support industry skill panels.
     (2) Eligible applicants for the grants allocated under this section include, but are not limited to, workforce development councils, community and technical colleges, economic development councils, private career schools, chambers of commerce, trade associations, and apprenticeship councils.
     (3) Entities applying for a grant under this section shall provide an employer match of at least twenty-five percent to be eligible. The local match may include in-kind services.
     (4) It shall be the role of industry skill panels funded under this chapter to enable businesses in the industry to address workforce skill needs. Industry skill panels shall identify workforce strategies to meet the needs in order to benefit employers and workers across the industry. Examples of strategies include, but are not limited to: Developing career guidance materials; producing or updating skill standards and curricula; designing training programs and courses; developing technical assessments and certifications; arranging employer mentoring, tutoring, and internships; identifying private sector assistance in providing faculty or equipment to training providers; and organizing industry conferences disseminating best practices. The products and services of particular skill panels shall depend upon the needs of the industry.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     The board shall establish industry skill panel standards that identify the expectations for industry skill panel products and services. The board shall establish the standards in consultation with labor, the state board for community and technical colleges, the employment security department, the institute of workforce development and economic sustainability, and the department of community, trade, and economic development. Continued funding of particular industry skill panels shall be based on meeting the standards established by the board under this section. Beginning December 1, 2008, the board shall report annually to the governor and the economic development and higher education committees of the legislature on the results of the industry skill panels funded under this chapter in meeting the standards."