AN ACT Relating to workforce training program; adding a new chapter to Title 28C RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that demographic and economic changes are causing an increasing shortage of well trained workers within Washington. The working age population is growing at a decreasing rate due to the aging of the post World War II baby boom generation and due to a lower rate of birth. The current economic boom in the state is aggravating this long-term trend by lowering the rate of unemployed individuals seeking work. Because of the developing labor shortage, Washington businesses increasingly need to employ individuals from demographic groups which have been traditionally underrepresented among the employed population. Many of these and other individuals need training in order to have the skills required by employers.

The legislature further finds that our state's businesses have a growing need for highly trained workers because of the increasing technological complexity of occupations and due to increasing world market competition. Because of these technical and economic changes, businesses in the future will need to fully utilize the capacities of their workers for skilled, flexible, and intelligent work.

The legislature further finds that the vast majority of the work force for the year 2000 and beyond is already of the age eighteen years or older. For the work force of the future to be well trained will require a first-rate adult training system. This system will need to train those individuals who are entering and reentering the labor market and those individuals already employed who need new or updated skills to meet changing technological and economic conditions. For the training system to be first rate will require a system that is well coordinated between service providers, is accountable for its performance, and is responsive to the needs of businesses and the work force. The training system must emphasize training in broad- based skills with long-term career potential.

The legislature further finds that workforce training specifically designed for particular industries is the responsibility of individual employers and employee groups. Many of the state' low-income citizens are not attached to the workforce and are not included in training programs operated by employers or employee groups. It is the intent of the legislature to encourage employers and employee groups to make workforce training available to low-income individuals, and to build upon existing resources in promoting innovative approaches to training.

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

(1) "Board" means the state board for vocational education or its successor agency.

(2) "Employer group" means two or more employers acting jointly or through a trade association, nonprofit organization, or other entity.

(3) "Employee group" means a local labor union, a local or state-wide labor organization, or any organization representing employees.

(4) "Sponsor" means an employer group, an employee group, or an employer and employee group acting jointly.

(5) "Training" means any education, literacy, or skill training or retraining activity that is needed by an individual to begin or continue full participation in the Washington work force.

(6) "Training system" means the network of public and private providers of training, and includes secondary vocational education programs for gainful employment upon completion of a designated program sequence, but not other programs of primary or secondary education.

(7) "Training providers" includes agencies and institutions of secondary vocational education programs for gainful employment upon completion of a designated program sequence, adult education, vocational technical institutes, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, private and public nonprofit organizations that are representative of communities or significant segments of communities and provide job training services, and private for-profit organizations that provide training as their primary service.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The office of financial management shall, with the advice of the board, administer a study of the training needs of the state's work force, businesses, and the economy, including an evaluation of the training system. For purposes of the study, the office of financial management shall use already existing data whenever appropriate. As necessary, the labor market and economic analysis unit of the department of employment security shall assist the office of financial management with labor market and economic data, and state agencies that provide training shall assist the office of financial management with data on their training programs. The director of the office of financial management may contract for services necessary for the completion of the study, and shall contract for services as necessary to ensure objectivity in evaluating the training system. The study shall include:

(1) An assessment of the employment competency needs of the present Washington work force, including regional and demographic subgroups of the state work force, and projections of these competencies to the year 2010. Employment competency needs shall include, but not be limited to, literacy, basic skills, and vocational skills;

(2) An assessment of the current work force skill needs of Washington businesses and public employers, including subgroups by region, industry, and firm size, and projections of these needs to the year 2010. Work force skill needs shall include, but not be limited to, literacy, basic skills, and vocational skills;

(3) An assessment of the gaps which may exist between the competencies of the work force and the work force skill needs of Washington businesses between now and the year 2010 given current training policies;

(4) An assessment of the characteristics, size, and geographic distribution of Washington population groups which are in need of training between now and the year 2010;

(5) An inventory and analysis of alternative training programs, policies, and funding mechanisms including, but not limited to, financial contributions from businesses, workers, and trainees, which have been proposed or are in use in other states or other nations;

(6) An assessment of current data, information, monitoring, and evaluation systems so that training needs and training providers may be assessed on an ongoing, systematic, objective, and comprehensive basis. This assessment shall include integrating an evaluation component into the program established under section 4 of this act;

(7) An inventory and analysis of the current training system in terms of organization, coordination, responsiveness, accountability, effectiveness, resources, support services for trainees, and access, including access for subgroups of the population, including but not limited to subgroups by gender, race, ethnicity, and income level, and an inventory of training provided by employers whose primary product is not training; and

(8) Recommendations on changes in the training system, including but not limited to ways of improving coordination and integration to meet the present and future needs of the work force, businesses, and the economy.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The board shall operate a workforce training program. The program shall offer grants to sponsors to offset the costs of training programs and grants to trainees to offset their living expenses while in training programs approved by the board under this chapter.

(1) Employer and employee groups may, jointly or individually, sponsor vocational training programs appropriate to their industry and petition the board for approval. Upon approval, sponsors may receive grants to partially offset the costs of training materials.

To qualify for a grant under this chapter, at least one-half of the trainees in the training program must be eligible for job training partnership act services. The grant shall not be awarded until after completion of the training program. The size of the grant shall be determined by the board based on the number of program trainees eligible under the job training partnership act who have been placed in full-time jobs requiring the skills that the training provided and who have completed a minimum of three months' work.

The board shall be responsible for supplying the sponsor with a list of potential trainees who are eligible for services under the job training partnership act.

(2) Individuals eligible for services under the job training partnership act shall, upon acceptance into a sponsor's training program, be eligible for grants to help offset their living expenses while engaged in training. The board shall determine the size of the grant and the time frame for distribution. No more than one-third of the grant shall be distributed prior to completion of the first half of the training program, and no more than one-half of the grant shall be distributed prior to completion of the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The board shall adopt such rules as are appropriate to carry out its duties under this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. 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. 7. Sections 1 through 6 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 28C RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. If specific funding for the purpose of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1990, in the supplemental omnibus appropriations act, this act shall be null and void.