BILL REQ. #:  Z-0387.1 

Read first time 02/13/13.   Referred to Committee on Labor & Workforce Development.

     AN ACT Relating to integrated career learning opportunities and employment training for at-risk youth; adding a new section to chapter 28C.18 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.700 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the ASSET program is established to increase connections and access to work-integrated learning opportunities, particularly in STEM fields. The program is also intended to provide forums in local communities for the exchange of ideas, innovations, and expertise among local businesses, labor organizations, public schools, apprenticeship councils, and institutions of higher education. The board shall administer the program.
     (2) In administering the ASSET program, the board, in collaboration with business and labor organizations as well as state education and workforce agencies, shall:
     (a) Develop technical assistance materials to guide employers in the design and implementation of work-integrated learning opportunities and programs that assist employers in navigating the legal and regulatory environment related to employment of youth and placement of youth at employer worksites;
     (b) Develop technical assistance materials to guide schools in the design and implementation of work-integrated learning opportunities and programs that assist schools in encouraging students to explore work-integrated opportunities and to select appropriate work-integrated learning opportunities and maximizing their experience;
     (c) Conduct a statewide communications campaign to encourage employers, particularly in STEM fields, to offer work-integrated learning opportunities for students, encourage schools to work with local businesses to develop work-integrated learning opportunities, and encourage parents and students to seek out work-integrated learning opportunities;
     (d) Develop a web-based matching and communications system, accessible to schools and individual students, for employers to post work-integrated learning opportunities. The system must also provide access to the technical assistance materials for employers, schools, and students developed under this section; and
     (e) Designate workforce development councils as regional coordinators for the ASSET program through a competitive application process. The purpose of the designation is to establish a single point of contact for voluntary local coordination, reduce duplication of effort, achieve economies of scale, and create opportunities for successful grant seeking.
     (3) Regional program coordinators must:
     (a) Serve as a clearinghouse for summer and year-round youth employment and other work-integrated learning opportunities for students in the region;
     (b) In collaboration with business and labor organizations, actively recruit employers to provide work-integrated learning opportunities, particularly in STEM fields, for youth and participating schools;
     (c) Disseminate technical assistance materials developed under subsection (2)(a) of this section to interested employers;
     (d) Work with public schools, institutions of higher education, apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs, and workforce training programs to develop internship, mentoring, and advising opportunities for public school students by individuals in the local business and labor communities;
     (e) Encourage the use of the web-based matching and communications system for work-integrated learning opportunities developed under subsection (2)(d) of this section; and
     (f) Report annually to the board data required to complete subsection (4) of this section.
     (4) The board, in consultation with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, shall design and implement a performance monitoring system to track the outcomes of the ASSET program. As of December 2014, the board shall submit an annual performance report on the program to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the governor.
     (5) For the purposes of this section, "work-integrated learning opportunities" include but are not limited to:
     (a) Paid and unpaid internships that provide sustained work and learning experiences;
     (b) Paid and unpaid work experience;
     (c) Youth apprenticeships and preapprenticeships;
     (d) Advising from employers and workers related to student projects or programs of study;
     (e) Simulated or virtual workplace experiences and enterprises;
     (f) Visits to worksites to learn about employers, occupations, job skills, or other work-related issues;
     (g) Mentoring that provides professional input to a student's career pathway; and
     (h) Job shadowing related to a student's career pathway.
     (6) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section.
     (a) "ASSET program" means the alliance for student success in education and training program.
     (b) "Institutions of higher education" or "postsecondary institutions" has the definition in RCW 28B.10.016.
     (c) "Public schools" has the definition in RCW 28A.150.010.
     (d) "State education and workforce agencies" means the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, the student achievement council, the Washington state school directors' association, the workforce training and education coordinating board, and the employment security department.
     (e) "STEM" means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
     (f) "Youth" means a person age twenty-four or younger.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.700 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grants to a minimum of two high schools and one skill center to each implement a dropout reengagement program aligned with entry into a high-demand occupation. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish program guidelines and criteria for grant application and administration. Beginning in December 2014, an annual report summarizing student participation and outcomes shall be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the governor by December of each year.
     (2) Grant recipients must agree to:
     (a) Adhere to principles established by the superintendent's career and technical education program focused on at-risk secondary students;
     (b) Target program enrollment to youth under age nineteen who are not enrolled in high school and have not earned a high school diploma, or students currently enrolled who are highly likely to exit high school without earning a high school diploma;
     (c) Provide academic instruction for participants to earn a high school diploma or equivalent;
     (d) Provide training for the student to earn an entry-level certificate in a high-demand employment field in science, math, technology, engineering, or manufacturing as provided in RCW 28A.700.020; and
     (e) Collect and report student participation and completion data to the office of the superintendent of public instruction.