BILL REQ. #:  S-0356.1 

Read first time 01/15/2007.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to industry skill panels; amending RCW 28C.18.010; adding new sections to chapter 28C.18 RCW; creating a new section; and making appropriations.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that a skilled work force is essential for employers and job seekers to compete in today's global economy. The engines of economic progress are fueled by education and training. The legislature further finds that industry skill panels are a critical and proven form of public-private partnership that harness the expertise of leaders in business, labor, and education to identify work force development strategies for industries that drive Washington's regional economies. Industry skill panels foster innovation and enable industry leaders and public partners to be proactive, addressing changing needs for businesses quickly and strategically. Industry skill panels leverage small state investments with private sector investments to ensure that public resources are better aligned with industry needs.
     (2) The legislature further finds that industry skill panels support other valuable initiatives such as the department of community, trade, and economic development's cluster-based economic development grants; the community and technical college centers of excellence, high-demand funds, and the job skills program; and the employment security department's incumbent worker training funds. Industry skill panels provide a framework for coordinating these and other investments in line with economic and work force development strategies identified by industry leaders. It is the intent of the legislature to support the development and maintenance of industry skill panels in key sectors of the economy as an efficient and effective way to support regional economic development.

Sec. 2   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 work force training and education coordinating board.
     (2) "Director" means the director of the work force 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) "Work force 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) "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. 3   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, work force 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 work force skill needs. Industry skill panels shall identify work force 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. 4   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.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   (1) The sum of one million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, from the general fund to the work force training and education coordinating board for the purposes of this act.
     (2) The sum of one million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, from the general fund to the work force training and education coordinating board for the purposes of this act. The board shall use up to fifty thousand dollars of the appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, for an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of industry skill panels.