BILL REQ. #:  S-1092.1 

Read first time 01/30/2007.   Referred to Committee on Economic Development, Trade & Management.

     AN ACT Relating to linking economic clusters and quality management practices to customized training; amending RCW 28C.04.400 and 28C.04.420; and making appropriations.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28C.04.400 and 1983 1st ex.s. c 21 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The legislature declares that it is an important function of government to increase opportunities for gainful employment, to assist in promoting a productive and expanding economy, and to encourage the flow of business and industry support to educational institutions. Therefore, the legislature finds that it is in the public interest of the state to encourage and facilitate the formation of cooperative relationships between business and industry and educational institutions which provide for the development and significant expansion of programs of skills training and education consistent with employment needs and to make interested individuals aware of the employment opportunities presented thereby. It is the policy of the state of Washington to ensure that programs of skill training are: (1) Available on a regional basis and are utilized by a variety of businesses and industries; and (2) closely linked to cluster and industry specific public investments.

Sec. 2   RCW 28C.04.420 and 1999 c 121 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     The college board may, subject to appropriation from the legislature or from funds made available from any other public or private source and pursuant to rules adopted by the college board with the advice of the workforce training customer advisory committee established in RCW 28C.04.390, provide job skills grants to educational institutions. The job skills grants shall be used exclusively for programs which are consistent with the job skills program. The college board shall work in collaboration with the workforce training customer advisory committee established in RCW 28C.04.390 to assure that:
     (1) The program is within the scope of the job skills program under this chapter and may reasonably be expected to succeed and thereby increase employment within the state;
     (2) Provision has been made to use any available alternative funding from local, state, and federal sources;
     (3) The job skills grant will only be used to cover the costs associated with the program;
     (4) The program will not unnecessarily duplicate existing programs and could not be provided by another educational institution more effectively or efficiently;
     (5) The program involves an area of skills training and education for which there is a demonstrable need;
     (6) The applicant has made provisions for the use of existing federal and state resources for student financial assistance;
     (7) The job skills grant is essential to the success of the program as the resources of the applicant are inadequate to attract the technical assistance and financial support necessary for the program from business and industry;
     (8) The program represents a collaborative partnership between business, industry, labor, educational institutions, and other partners, as appropriate;
     (9) The commitment of financial support from business and industry shall be equal to or greater than the amount of the requested job skills grant;
     (10) Binding commitments have been made to the commission by the applicant for adequate reporting of information and data regarding the program to the commission, particularly information concerning the recruitment and employment of trainees and students, and including a requirement for an annual or other periodic audit of the books of the applicant directly related to the program, and for such control on the part of the commission as it considers prudent over the management of the program, so as to protect the use of public funds, including, in the discretion of the commission and without limitation, right of access to financial and other records of the applicant directly related to the programs; ((and))
     (11) A provision has been made by the applicant to work, in cooperation with the employment security department, to identify and screen potential trainees, and that provision has been made by the applicant for the participation as trainees of low-income persons including temporary assistance for needy families recipients, dislocated workers, and persons from minority and economically disadvantaged groups to participate in the program; and
     (12) The following will be met in regards to the job skills program:
     (a) Development of additional mechanisms for identification of, and outreach to, firms with a strong potential to effectively compete in the global marketplace after participating in the job skills program. This should be done by using a variety of approaches, including collaboration with industry and cluster associations that have participated in cluster and industry specific public investment programs such as industry skill panels, centers of excellence, innovation zones, local cluster-based economic development initiatives, and federal job training initiatives; and
     (b) Encouragement of businesses participating in the job skills program to participate in workshops or training in continuous quality improvement, performance measurement, strategic planning, or other approaches offered by service providers such as Washington manufacturing services, the Washington quality award, or the Washington technology center and designed to improve company productivity and effectiveness.
     Beginning October 1, 1999, and every two years thereafter, the college board shall provide the legislature and the governor with a report describing the activities and outcomes of the state job skills program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The sum of three 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 state board for community and technical colleges for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   The sum of three 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 state board for community and technical colleges for the purposes of this act.