(1) The department shall expend federal funds received by the department, and funds that may be available to the department, under 23 U.S.C. Sec. 140(b) to increase diversity in the highway construction workforce and prepare individuals interested in entering the highway construction workforce by conducting activities in subsections (4) and (5) of this section.

(2) The requirements contained in subsection (1) of this section do not apply to or reduce the federal funds that would be otherwise allocated to local government agencies.

(3) The department shall, in coordination with the department of labor and industries, expend moneys for apprenticeship preparation and support services, including providing grants to local Indian tribes, churches, nonprofits, and other organizations. The department shall, to the greatest extent practicable, expend moneys from sources other than those specified in subsection (1) of this section for the activities in this subsection and subsections (4) and (5) of this section.

(4) The department shall coordinate with the department of labor and industries to provide any portion of the following services:

(a) Preapprenticeship programs approved by the apprenticeship and training council;

(b) Preemployment counseling;

(c) Orientations on the highway construction industry, including outreach to women, minorities, and other disadvantaged individuals;

(d) Basic skills improvement classes;

(e) Career counseling;

(f) Remedial training;

(g) Entry requirements for training programs;

(h) Supportive services and assistance with transportation;

(i) Child care and special needs;

(j) Job site mentoring and retention services;

(k) Assistance with tools, protective clothing, and other related support for employment costs; and

(l) The recruitment of women and persons of color to participate in the apprenticeship program at the department.

(5) The department must actively engage with communities with populations that are underrepresented in current transportation apprenticeship programs.

(6) The department, in coordination with the department of labor and industries, shall submit a report to the transportation committees of the legislature by December 1st of each year beginning in 2012. The report must contain:

(a) An analysis of the results of the activities in subsections (4) and (5) of this section;

(b) The amount available to the department from federal funds for the activities in subsections (4) and (5) of this section and the amount expended for those activities; and

(c) The performance outcomes achieved from each activity, including the number of persons receiving services, training, and employment.

(7) By December 31, 2020, the department must report to the legislature on the results of how the department's efforts to actively engage with communities with populations that are underrepresented in current transportation apprenticeship programs have resulted in an increased participation of underrepresented groups in the department's apprenticeship program over a five-year period.

[2015 c 164 § 1; 2012 c 66 § 1.]