New Jersey-2024-S967-Introduced

An Act concerning careers that do not require college degrees and amending and supplementing P.L.1992, c.43.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

"Commission" means Careers without College Commission.

"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

"Department" means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

"Program" means the Careers without College Program.

2. (New section) a. There is established in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development the Careers without College Program. The purpose of the program is provide assistance, free of cost, in the placement of individuals who are eligible for participation in the Community College Opportunity Grant Program, created by section 2 of P.L.2021, c.26 (C.18A:71B-12), with the best career opportunities for those individuals. The commissioner shall appoint an employee of the department to serve as the director of the program.

b. In furtherance of this program, the department shall:

(1) partner with unions, apprenticeship programs, trade schools, vocational-technical schools, and other entities to connect with eligible individuals for employment and training opportunities;

(2) create a webpage, accessible to the public, containing the following information on labor and workforce development issues for eligible individuals:

(a) career opportunities, including educational and training opportunities that elevate the demand or compensation for an individual's services;

(b) job postings;

(c) descriptions of careers that can be pursued without a college degree, with instructions on any necessary education or training required for those careers;

(d) analyses of jobs versus careers and information warning and identifying potential employment scams; and

(e) any other information that the department deems appropriate; and

(3) provide marketing information to high schools and high school students in the State of career opportunities for which a college degree is neither necessary or preferred.

3. (New section) a. There is established the Careers without College Advisory Commission to advise the Careers without College Program, the department, and the Legislature on ways to advance career opportunities that do not require college degrees, including, but not limited to, by way of an annual report. As part of the commission's work, the commission shall make recommendations on advising individuals on the differences between a job and a career and on the advancement of the following industries:

(1) culinary and food service careers;

(2) beautician and cosmetology;

(3) tradesperson and skilled manual labor, including, but not limited to, plumbing and electrical and mechanical engineering;

(3) construction work;

(4) sales;

(5) administrative work, including, but not limited to, work for medical or legal offices;

(6) government positions;

(7) home health aides and direct support professionals; and

(8) any other industry the commission or the department deems appropriate for consideration.

b. The commission shall consist of 10 voting members as follows: the director of the program, or the director's designee, who shall serve ex officio; one member appointed by the President of the Senate; one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Assembly; and five members to be appointed by the Governor as follows: a representative of the Building Trades Unions, a representative of AFL-CIO; a representative of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association; a representative of the Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools; a representative of postsecondary trade and vocational schools; and a representative of one other industry not already represented. All members of the commission shall be residents of the State.

Members shall be appointed for staggered terms of four years. Each member shall hold office for the term of the appointment and until a successor is appointed. Members may not serve more than two consecutive terms. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made, and vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term.

Members shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties but reimbursement of expenses shall be within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes. The commission shall organize as soon after the appointment of its members as is practicable. A majority of the commission members shall elect a chairperson from among the members and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. The commission shall meet at regular intervals but at least on a quarterly basis. The commission shall transmit a copy of a report prepared in accordance with this section to the Governor, and to the Legislature, in accordance with section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within five days of the date the report is prepared.

4. Section 9 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-9) is amended to read as follows:

9. a. A restricted, nonlapsing, revolving Workforce Development Partnership Fund, to be managed and invested by the State Treasurer, is hereby established to: provide employment and training services to qualified displaced, disadvantaged and employed workers by means of training grants or customized training services; provide for the other costs indicated in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-4); provide for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program as provided for in section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26); provide for the Talent Network Program as provided for in section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125 (C.34:15D-29); and facilitate the provision of education and training to youth by means of grants provided by the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et al.). All appropriations to the fund, all interest accumulated on balances in the fund and all cash received for the fund from any other source shall be used solely for the purposes specifically delineated by this act.

b. During any fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2001, of the total revenues dedicated to the program during any one fiscal year:

(1) 25% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide employment and training services for qualified displaced workers, and through fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified displaced workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.); and during any fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2019, 0.5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for an appropriated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the Apprenticeship Start-Up Grant Program created pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2019, c.417 (C.34:15D-6.1);

(2) 6% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide employment and training services for qualified disadvantaged workers, and through fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified disadvantaged workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.);

(3) 37% prior to July 1, 2022, and 35% after June 30, 2022 shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for and appropriated to the Office of Customized Training;

(4) 5% prior to July 1, 2022, and 7% after June 30, 2022 shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership created pursuant to P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.);

(5) 3% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for occupational safety and health training;

(6) 5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for and appropriated to the Talent Network Program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125 (C.34:15D-29);

(7) 3% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26);

(8) 10% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for administrative costs as defined in section 3 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-3);

(9) 0.5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the State Employment and Training Commission to design criteria and conduct an annual evaluation of the program; and

(10) 5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund to be used, at the discretion of the commissioner, for any of the purposes indicated in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-4).

c. Beginning January 1, 1995, through June 30, 2002, the balance in the fund as of the previous December 31, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, shall not exceed 1.5 times the amount of contributions deposited for the calendar year then ended. If the balance exceeds this amount, the excess shall be deposited into the unemployment compensation fund within seven business days of the date that the determination is made.

d. Beginning July 1, 2002, and for any subsequent fiscal year, if the unexpended cash balance in any of the accounts indicated in subsection b. of this section, except for the account reserved for the Talent Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but not yet disbursed from the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount of contributions collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this subsection during the fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be regarded as an unemployment compensation contribution and deposited into the unemployment compensation fund within seven business days of the date that the determination is made. If the unexpended cash balance in the account reserved for the Talent Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but not yet disbursed from the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount of contributions collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this subsection during the fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be deposited into the Workforce Development Partnership Fund account reserved for the Office of Customized Training.

e. $250,000 shall be allocated to the Apprentice Assistance and Support Services Pilot Program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2019, c.419 (C.34:15D-6.2) from the $29,690,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act for State fiscal year 2019 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New Jersey-Training Related Expenses, and, $1,100,000 shall be allocated to the pilot program in each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 from the amounts appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act in those fiscal years from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New Jersey-Training Related Expenses. Of the funds allocated to the pilot program pursuant to this subsection, 90% shall be dedicated to the Child Care Stipend program and 10% to transportation reimbursement.

f. Upon the effective date of P.L.2022, c.89 (C.34:15E-6 et al.) and notwithstanding the provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary, in addition to the amount deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership pursuant to subsection b. of this section, $1,000,000 shall be allocated to the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership from the $22,500,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act for State fiscal year 2022 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding the NJ Apprenticeship Network, the Career Accelerator Internship Program, the Workforce Development Policy and Evaluation Lab, the NJ Career Network, and such other priority workforce initiatives recommended by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

g. Upon the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) $750,000 shall be allocated to the Careers without College Program from the $22,500,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act for State fiscal year 2022 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New Jersey-Training Related Expenses, and $500,000 shall be allocated to the pilot program in each fiscal year thereafter from the amounts appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act in those fiscal years from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New Jersey-Training Related Expenses. Of the funds allocated to the Careers without College Program pursuant to this subsection, the funds shall be used for the salary of at least one-full time employee hired to effectuate the purposes of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and any other necessary expenses of the program.

(cf: P.L.2022, c.89, s.2)

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Career Without College Program in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The purpose of the program is provide assistance, free of cost, in the placement of eligible individuals with the best employment opportunities for them. In furtherance of this program, the department is required to:

(1) partner with unions, apprenticeship programs, trade schools, vocational-technical schools, and other entities to connect with eligible individuals for employment and training opportunities;

(2) create a webpage, accessible to the public, containing the following information on labor and workforce development issues for eligible individuals: career opportunities, including educational and training opportunities that elevate the demand or compensation for an individual's services; job postings; descriptions of careers that can be pursued without a college degree, with instructions on any necessary education or training required for those careers; analyses of jobs versus careers and information warning and identifying potential employment scams; and any other information that the department deems appropriate; and

(3) provide marketing information to high schools and high school students in the State of career opportunities for which a college degree is neither necessary or preferred.

The bill establishes the "Careers without College Advisory Commission" to advise the program, the department, and the Legislature on ways to advance career opportunities that do not require college degrees, including, but not limited to, by way of an annual report.

The bill funds the program from appropriations made to the Workforce Development Partnership Fund through the annual budget process.