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AB-2412 Community colleges: incentive grant program for completion of industry-recognized credentials.(2015-2016)

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AB2412:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 17, 2016

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2015–2016 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2412

Introduced by Assembly Member Chang

February 19, 2016

An act to add Article 4 (commencing with Section 78050) to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2412, as amended, Chang. Community colleges: career technical education. incentive grant program for completion of industry-recognized credentials.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction to students. Existing law establishes various career technical education programs, including regional occupational centers and programs, specialized secondary programs, partnership academies, and agricultural career technical education programs.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to workforce development and career technical education programs offered at campuses of the California Community Colleges. would, commencing with the 2017–18 academic year, establish an incentive grant program for the completion of industry-recognized credentials, as defined, in specified occupational areas by students enrolled at participating campuses of the California Community Colleges. The bill would provide for the administration of this program, and the distribution of the incentive grant awards, by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
The bill would require a community college campus that receives an incentive grant award under this bill to use the funds to improve its workforce development and career technical education programs, as specified. The bill would list criteria to be prioritized in the selection of industry-recognized credentials that would be eligible for funding under the program.
The bill would require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to submit a report to the Legislature containing specified information about the program on or before December 1, 2018, and on or before December 1 every 3 years thereafter.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Article 4 (commencing with Section 78050) is added to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  4. Incentive Grant Program for Completion of Industry-Recognized Credentials

78050.
 (a) An incentive grant program is established, to be administered by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, for the completion of industry-recognized credentials in specified occupational areas by students enrolled at participating campuses of the California Community Colleges. These grants shall be awarded by the chancellor’s office beginning in the 2017–18 academic year and for each academic year thereafter.
(b)  The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall provide each campus of the California Community Colleges that participates in the program with one thousand dollars ($1,000) in grants for each eligible industry-recognized credential in specified occupational areas earned by a community college student.
(c) As used in this article, “industry-recognized credential” means a certification that a student receives from an independent, third-party, certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, skills, and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential that is nationally recognized and addresses a critical local or statewide economic need.

78051.
 (a) Each campus of the California Community Colleges that participates in the program created under this article shall maintain documentation of student attainment of industry-recognized credentials that are eligible for incentive grants, and report that data to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall verify compliance with this requirement on an annual basis. If it is found that a participating campus failed to comply with the documentation requirement or intentionally provided incorrect data regarding the amount of credentials earned, all incentive grant funds received by that campus for that academic year shall be refunded to the state.
(b) The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall distribute the grants and establish procedures and timelines for participating campuses to report earned credentials.

78052.
 (a) A campus of the California Community Colleges that receives incentive grants under this article shall use those funds to improve its workforce development and career technical education programs. Funds may be used for equipment upgrades, supply purchases, program expansion, or any other use that would improve campus workforce education and career technical education programs. Incentive grant funds shall not be used to fund the salaries or benefits of personnel in these departments in which students are earning industry-recognized credentials.
(b) The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall work with local workforce boards, businesses, industry, the Employment Development Department, and the California Workforce Development Board to identify industry-recognized credentials that are in high demand based on regional and statewide needs and employment projections. The chancellor’s office and this working group shall prioritize all of the following criteria when selecting industry-recognized credentials that shall be eligible for funding under this article:
(1) The relevance of the certificate to the labor market needs of the state and relevant region’s competitive industry sectors and industry clusters.
(2) The relevance to the state’s need to fill skills gaps and skills shortages in the economy, including those at the state and regional level.
(3) The projected wages and rates of employment placement for students entering the labor market.
(c) The criteria referenced in subdivision (b) shall be prioritized by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges annually and updated each year thereafter to reflect changing and new workforce needs. The updated criteria shall be posted on the Internet Web site of the chancellor’s office and distributed to instructors and students in career technical education classes.

78053.
 The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall submit, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, a report to the Legislature on or before December 1, 2018, and on or before December 1 every three years thereafter. The report required by this section shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the amount of funds allocated through under this article and a list of the industries for which the funds were allocated.

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to workforce development and career technical education programs offered at campuses of the California Community Colleges.