Bill Text: MS SB2854 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Women in High-Wage, High-Demand, Nontraditional Jobs Grant Program; authorize in Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2017-01-31 - Died In Committee [SB2854 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2017-SB2854-Introduced.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2017 Regular Session

To: Finance

By: Senator(s) Turner-Ford

Senate Bill 2854

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A WOMEN IN HIGH-WAGE/HIGH-DEMAND/

NONTRADITIONAL JOBS GRANT PROGRAM UNDER THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY; TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE USE OF GRANT FUNDS AND GRANT APPLICATIONS; TO AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY TO IMPLEMENT THIS ACT AND MONITOR THE USE OF FUNDS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Women in High-Wage, High-Demand, Nontraditional Jobs Grant Program.  (1)  For the purpose of this section, the following terms have the meanings given.

          (a)  "Commissioner" means the Executive Director of

the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

          (b)  "Eligible organization" includes, but is not

limited to: 

              (i)  Community-based organizations experienced in

serving women;

              (ii)  Employers;

              (iii)  Business and trade associations;

              (iv)  Labor unions and employee organizations;

              (v)  Registered apprenticeship programs;

               (vi)  Secondary and postsecondary education

institutions located in Mississippi; and

              (vii)  Workforce and economic development

agencies.

          (c)  "High-wage, high-demand" means occupations that

represent at least one-tenth percent (0.1%) of total employment

in the base year, have an annual median salary which is higher

than the average for the current year, and are projected to have

more total openings as a share of employment than the average.

          (d)  "Low-income" means income less than two hundred

percent (200%) of the federal poverty guideline adjusted for a

family size of four (4).

          (e)  "Nontraditional occupations" means those

occupations in which women make up less than twenty-five percent

(25%) of the workforce as defined under United States Code,

Title 20, Section 2302.

     (2)  Grant program.  The Executive Director of the

Mississippi Department of Employment Security shall establish

the Women in High-Wage, High-Demand, Nontraditional Jobs Grant

Program to increase the number of women in high-wage, high-

demand, nontraditional occupations.  The Executive Director of

the Mississippi Department of Employment Security shall make

grants to eligible organizations for programs that encourage and

assist women to enter high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional

occupations, including, but not limited to, those in the skilled

trades, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

occupations.

     (3)  Use of funds.  Grant funds awarded under this section

may be used for:

          (a)  Recruitment, preparation, placement, and

retention of women, including low-income women and women over

fifty (50) years old, in registered apprenticeships,

postsecondary education programs, on-the-job training and

permanent employment in high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional

occupations;

          (b)  Secondary or postsecondary education or other

training to prepare women to succeed in high-wage, high-demand,

nontraditional occupations.  Activities under this section may

be conducted by the grantee or in collaboration with another

institution, including, but not limited to, a public or private

secondary or postsecondary school;

          (c)  Innovative, hands-on best practices that

stimulate interest in high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional

occupations among women; increase awareness among women about

opportunities in high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional

occupations; or increase access to secondary programming leading

to jobs in high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations. 

Best practices include, but are not limited to, mentoring,

internships or apprenticeships for women in high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations;

          (d)  Training and other staff development for job

seeker counselors and Mississippi Family Investment Program

(MFIP) caseworkers on opportunities in high-wage, high-demand,

nontraditional occupations;

          (e)  Incentives for employers and sponsors of

registered apprenticeship programs to retain women in high-wage,

high-demand, nontraditional occupations for more than one (1)

year;

          (f)  Training and technical assistance for employers

to create a safe and healthy workplace environment designed to

retain and advance women, including best practices for

addressing sexual harassment, and to overcome gender inequity

among employers and registered apprenticeship programs;

          (g)  Public education and outreach activities to

overcome stereotypes about women in high-wage, high-demand,

nontraditional occupations, including the development of

educational and marketing materials; and

          (h)  Support for women in high-wage, high-demand,

nontraditional occupations including, but not limited to,

assistance with workplace issues resolution and access to

advocacy assistance and services.

     (4)  Grant applications must include detailed information

about how the applicant plans to:

          (a)  Increase women s participation in high-wage,

high-demand occupations in which women are currently

underrepresented in the workforce;

          (b)  Comply with the requirements under subsection (3)

of this section; and

          (c)  Use grant funds in conjunction with funding from

other public or private sources.

          (d)  In awarding grants under this section, the

executive director shall give priority to eligible

organizations:

              (i)  With demonstrated success in recruiting and

preparing women, especially low-income women and women over

fifty (so) years old, for high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional

occupations; and

              (ii)  That leverage additional public and private

resources.

          (e)  At least fifty percent (50%) of total grant funds

must be awarded to programs providing services and activities

targeted to low-income women.

     (5)  The Executive Director shall monitor the use of funds

under this section, collect and compile information on the

activities of other state agencies and public or private

entities that have purposes similar to those under this section,

and identify other public and private funding available for

these purposes.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2017.