Bill Text: NJ A4524 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DOLWD to compile consumer report cards for eligible training providers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-06 - Substituted by S2362 (1R) [A4524 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A4524-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHARLES MAINOR
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOLWD to compile consumer report cards for eligible training providers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the compilation of certain information by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and amending P.L.2005, c.354.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 27 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:1A-86) is amended to read as follows:
27. There is established in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Center for Occupational Employment Information, which shall:
a. Serve as the entity designated to carry out the State level career information activities prescribed in the Perkins Act. In accordance with that act, the center shall, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education:
(1) Provide support for career guidance and academic counseling programs designed to promote improved career and education decision-making by individuals, especially in areas of career information delivery and use;
(2) Make information and planning resources that relate educational preparation to career goals and expectations available, on the Internet to the extent possible, to students, parents, teachers, administrators, counselors, job-seekers, workers and other clients of the workforce investment system, including the consumer report card on the effectiveness of qualified schools and other approved training providers placed on the State Eligible Training Provider List provided pursuant to subsection f. of this section and required to be made available pursuant to section 13 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:15C-10.1), section 4 of P.L.1992, c.48 (C.34:15B-38), section 7 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-7) and section 3 of P.L.1992, c.47 (C.43:21-59).
(3) Equip workforce investment system professionals, including teachers, administrators, and counselors, with the knowledge and skills needed to assist clients of the workforce investment system, including students and parents, with career exploration, educational opportunities and education financing;
(4) Assist appropriate State entities in tailoring career-related educational resources and training for use by such entities;
(5) Improve coordination and communication among administrators and planners of programs included in the State's workforce investment system to ensure non-duplication of efforts and the appropriate use of shared information and data; and
(6) Provide ongoing means for clients of the workforce investment system, including students and parents, to provide comments and feedback on products and services and to update resources, as appropriate, to better meet customer requirements.
b. Design and implement a comprehensive workforce information system to meet the needs for the planning and operation of all public and private training and job placement programs, which is responsive to the economic demands of the employer community and education and training needs of the State and of Workforce Investment Board areas within the State, as recommended by the commission and designated by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. In doing so, the center shall insure that the information:
(1) Is delivered in a user friendly, timely and easily understood manner;
(2) Pays special attention to the particular needs of each Workforce Investment Board and is consistent with the labor market of each Workforce Investment Board; and
(3) Is delivered, to the extent possible, on the Internet in a format designed to meet the needs of all user groups.
c. Use the occupational employment information system to implement an electronic career information delivery system, which shall provide students, parents, counselors and other career decision makers with accurate, timely and locally relevant information on the careers available in the New Jersey labor market.
d. Analyze, not less than once every two years and on a regional basis, the relationship between the projected need for trained individuals in each of the career clusters and each of the career pathways, and the total number of individuals being trained in the skills or skill sets needed to work in each of the clusters and pathways. Based on this relationship, the center shall designate as a labor demand occupation any occupation that is in a cluster or pathway for which the number of individuals needed significantly exceeds, or shall exceed, the number being trained, and may designate as a labor demand occupation an occupation for which the center determines that the number of individuals needed significantly exceeds, or will exceed, the number being trained, even if that is not the case for the entire career cluster or pathway to which the occupation belongs. In cases where a Workforce Investment Board established pursuant to section 18 of P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-15) submits information to the center that there is or is likely to be, in the region for which the board is responsible, a significant excess of demand over supply of adequately trained workers for an occupation, the center may conduct a survey of the need or anticipated need in that region for trained workers in that occupation and, whether or not it conducts that survey, shall, in conjunction with the board, determine whether to designate the occupation to be a labor demand occupation in that region. The center may utilize survey data obtained by other agencies or from other sources to fulfill its responsibilities under this subsection.
e. Assist the commission in preparing the New Jersey Unified Workforce Investment Plan pursuant to section 10 of P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-7) by providing information requested by the commission.
f. Compile information provided to the department by training providers on the State Eligible Training Provider List pursuant to sections 14 and 29 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:15C-10.2 and C.34:1A-88) into a consumer report card on the effectiveness of qualified schools and other approved training providers. The consumer report card shall include, at a minimum, the following information compiled annually: the number of enrollees; the completion rate; placement in employment information 1, including the names of employers where placements are made1 ; licensing information; examination results; enrollee demographic information; and information showing the long-term success of former trainees of each provider and school in obtaining permanent employment and increasing earnings over one or more time periods following the completion or other termination of training, including a period of two years following the completion or other termination of training.
g. Ensure that the data needed to produce a consumer report card, pursuant to subsection f. of this section, is submitted by the training providers and qualified schools to the department in a timely manner and, for those training providers and qualified schools that do not submit the data in a timely manner, implement and enforce a process to revoke or suspend the entity from the State Eligible Training Provider List, pursuant to section 14 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:15C-10.2).
(cf: P.L.2005, c.354, s.27)
2. Section 14 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:15C-10.2) is amended to read as follows:
14. a. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall maintain a Statewide list of approved training providers known as the State Eligible Training Provider List. In order to be placed and retained on the list, a training provider shall meet:
(1) The requirements of section 122 of the "Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Pub.L.105-220 (29U.S.C. s.2842);
(2) The requirements of this section;
(3) Any requirement applicable to that training provider pursuant to section 13 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:15C-10.1), section 6 of P.L.1992, c.48 (C.34:15B-40) and section 6 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-8);
(4) All reporting requirements of section 29 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:1A-88); and
(5) Any other requirements established by the State Employment and Training Commission.
No training provider who is not an approved training provider included on the State Eligible Training Provider List shall receive any federal job training funds or State job training funds.
b. In order to be placed on the State Eligible Training Provider List, each training provider, including a school, shall obtain approval from an authorized government agency. Any provider that is not aligned with a specific cognizant agency shall be required to obtain approval from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Authorized government agencies shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) The Commission on Higher Education: The commission shall approve programs from all institutions under its jurisdiction. This approval includes course work for degrees and certificates awarded by higher education institutions including public and private institutions.
(2) The Department of Education: The Department of Education shall approve all institutions in its jurisdiction. Programs operated by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services shall be approved by the Department of Education cooperatively with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Private schools controlled or operated by a charitable institution or any school controlled or operated by a religious denomination requesting to be included on the State Eligible Training Provider List shall be approved by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development in consultation with the Department of Education or any other appropriate State agency. Appropriate fees may be charged for certification and annual renewal.
(3) State departments responsible for licensing: Training providers are approved by any State department authorized to license training providers for specific training programs.
(4) The federal [Government]government: Training providers required to be approved by an agency of the federal government shall be included on the State Eligible Training Provider List after submission of the application and documentation indicating approval by the appropriate agency.
(5) Out-of-state approval: Training providers located in other states may be on the State Eligible Training Provider List if they demonstrate that they are approved by an appropriate state agency in the state in which they are located. Those providers shall complete the appropriate application process, submit to the Center for Occupational Employment Information proof of their approval, agree to the established reports, agree to any other requirements established for in-State providers, and comply with the specific requirements of the funding source.
c. Where applicable, training programs shall align with or use existing nationally recognized, industry-based skill standards and certifications as the basis for developing competency based learning objectives, curricula, instructional methods, teaching materials and worksite activities; prepare students to satisfy employer knowledge and skill requirements assessed by related examination, and provide students with the opportunity to take exams and receive certifications or licenses.
d. Each training provider shall apply to be placed on the State Eligible Training Provider List and provide a record for each trainee enrolled. This information shall include, but not be limited to, the participant's Social Security number, gender, date of birth, date of enrollment, any date of completion, date of termination, date of start in a job, date of application for a license, licensing examination result, date of issue of a license, any credential issued, and other information as specified by the State Employment and Training Commission or Center for Occupational Employment Information. For individuals who do not have a Social Security number, the qualifying agency may substitute an alternate method of identification, except that, at the time of start into employment, the alternate code shall be cross-referenced with the individual's valid Social Security number. In addition, the training provider shall agree to provide any other information deemed appropriate by the State Employment and Training Commission, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Education for evaluation purposes.
e. Every training provider shall provide access for on site visitation and monitoring by the State or its designee upon request.
f. Objective performance standards and measures for evaluating training providers shall be jointly developed and implemented by the State Board of Education and the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission. Policy makers and consumers shall be provided with information concerning training providers on the State Eligible Training Provider List and shall be provided a consumer report card, compiled by the Center for Occupational Employment Information pursuant to section 27 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:1A-86), on the effectiveness of those training providers showing the long-term success of former trainees of each provider in obtaining permanent employment and increasing earnings over one or more time periods following the completion or other termination of training, including a period of two years following the completion or other termination of training.
g. Any qualifying school which has a currently valid certificate of approval issued pursuant to section 13 of P.L.2005, c.354 (C.34:15C-10.1) and complies with all requirements of this section applicable to the school shall be placed on the State Eligible Training Provider List and any qualifying school which has its certificate revoked or suspended shall be removed from the list until the certification is reinstated
h. In order to be placed on and maintain eligibility for the State Eligible Training Provider List, each training provider, including a school, shall submit the required information for the compilation of consumer report cards pursuant to section 27 of P.L. 2005, c.354 (C.34:1A-86), to the Center for Occupational Employment Information in a timely manner. Any training provider or qualified school that does not submit the required information in a timely manner shall have its certificate revoked or suspended and shall be removed from the list until the certification is reinstated.
(cf: P.L.2005, c.354, s.14)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The bill clarifies that in order for a training provider or qualified school to be granted a certificate to be included on the State Eligible Training Provider List it must submit certain information to the Center for Occupational Employment Information. The bill also requires the Center to collect this information and compile it into a consumer report card.
The purpose of the consumer report card is to provide consumers and policy makers with information regarding the effectiveness of training providers.
The bill requires that the consumer report card include the following information compiled annually: the number of enrollees; the completion rate; placement in employment information, including the names of employers where placements are made; licensing information; examination results; enrollee demographic information; and information showing the long-term success of former trainees of each provider and school in obtaining permanent employment and increasing earnings over one or more time periods following the completion or other termination of training, including a period of two years after the completion or termination of training.
To provide workforce training to consumers through State-approved programs a training provider must be on the State Eligible Training Provider List. Therefore, if a training provider or school does not provide the required information for the consumer report card, the training provider or school will no longer be eligible to provide services utilizing State dollars.
Training providers are required to provide the information needed for the consumer report cards under current laws governing job training grants, including training grants provided under the State-funded Workforce Development Partnership Program (WDPP) and training grants provided under the federally-funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Those current laws also require the preparation of the consumer report cards and their use by counselors who advise potential trainees on the choice of training service providers and authorize the use of grant funds for particular training for an applicant, for both WDPP and WIA training grants. Under N.J.S.A.34:15D-3, the cost of collecting information and evaluating training service providers is expressly defined as part of WDPP administrative costs, to which 10% of all WDPP revenue is dedicated.
A principal effect of this bill would be to make it possible to enforce the existing requirement that training service providers furnish the information necessary for WDPP and WIA program administrators and counselors to make the data on program outcomes available in the required consumer report cards, so that individuals seeking training services can make informed decisions.
