(1) The college board, in consultation with business, industry, labor, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the department of commerce, the employment security department, and community and technical colleges, shall designate centers of excellence and allocate funds to existing and new centers of excellence based on a competitive basis.
(2) Eligible applicants for the program established under this section include community and technical colleges. Priority shall be given to applicants that have an established education and training program serving the targeted industry and that have in their home district or region an industry cluster with the same targeted industry at its core.
(3) It is the role of centers of excellence to employ strategies to:
(a) Create educational efficiencies;
(b) Build a diverse, competitive workforce for strategic industries;
(c) Maintain an institutional reputation for innovation and responsiveness;
(d) Develop innovative curriculum and means of delivering education and training;
(e) Act as brokers of information and resources related to community and technical college education and training and assistance available for firms in a targeted industry; and
(f) Serve as partners with workforce development councils, associate development organizations, and other workforce and economic development organizations.
(4) Examples of strategies under subsection (3) of this section include but are not limited to: Sharing curriculum and other instructional resources, to ensure cost savings to the system; delivering collaborative certificate and degree programs; and holding statewide summits, seminars, conferences, and workshops on industry trends and best practices in community and technical college education and training.