Bill Text: NY A08869 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Authorizes the New York state office of science, technology and academic research to establish a high-tech employment and training program; the office is to provide assistance to those entities deemed eligible for training and re-training of employed and unemployed workers who lack technology skills.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-05-25 - held for consideration in governmental operations [A08869 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-A08869-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         8869
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     June 12, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BALL, MENG, WALKER, BURLING -- read once and
         referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
       AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing  a  high-
         tech employment and training program within the New York state founda-
         tion for science, technology and innovation
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. The legislature here-
    2  by finds and declares that an appropriately skilled workforce is  neces-
    3  sary  to ensure the creation and growth of high technology businesses in
    4  New York. The introduction of new technologies in business and  industry
    5  is  an  ongoing, dynamic process which necessitates a system of training
    6  and education that is responsive to constantly changing  skill  require-
    7  ments.
    8    Further,  the  legislature  finds that technology has also changed the
    9  manner in which training and education can be provided  within  a  firm.
   10  While  the  use of sophisticated computer based training is not new, the
   11  cost of development of such  applications  results  in  limited  access.
   12  Using  technology to create a more effective and cost efficient delivery
   13  system for training and education services for firms  in  the  state  is
   14  critical  to  foster the young, developing high-tech sector in the state
   15  of New York.
   16    S 2. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  209-u  to
   17  read as follows:
   18    S 209-U. HIGH-TECH EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF
   19  THIS SECTION:
   20    (A)  "OFFICE"  SHALL  MEAN  THE NEW YORK STATE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE,
   21  TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
   22    (B) "HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY" SHALL MEAN THOSE  INDUSTRIES  WITH  AN  ABOVE
   23  AVERAGE  PERCENTAGE  OF SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND ENGINEERING PERSONNEL
   24  AND THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURE  OF  INNOVATIVE
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03498-01-9
       A. 8869                             2
    1  AND  NON-ROUTINE  PRODUCTS  SUCH  AS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, PROTOTYPE
    2  DEVELOPMENT, AND SMALL-VOLUME PRODUCTION OF NEW AND  CHANGING  PRODUCTS.
    3  THE  INDUSTRY  IS  CHARACTERIZED  BY  BUSINESSES WHICH ARE DEVELOPING OR
    4  OFFERING  A  TECHNOLOGY-BASED PRODUCT OR SERVICE, AND WHICH ARE ACTIVELY
    5  CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DESIGNED TO DEVELOP OR IMPROVE  SUCH
    6  PRODUCT OR SERVICE.
    7    (C)  "ELIGIBLE ENTITIES" SHALL MEAN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF
    8  HIGHER EDUCATION INCLUDING THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE STATE
    9  UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.
   10    2. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE OFFICE A HIGH-TECH  TRAINING
   11  INITIATIVE (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS "THE PROGRAM") TO PROVIDE FUNDING
   12  FOR  PROJECTS  TO  SUPPORT INDUSTRY AND FIRM-SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR BUSI-
   13  NESSES IN HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES.
   14    3. THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE SHALL:
   15    (A) DEVELOP AN ANNUAL PLAN COMPATIBLE WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STRA-
   16  TEGIC TRAINING ALLIANCE PROGRAM PURSUANT TO  SECTION  SIXTEEN-J  OF  THE
   17  URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING TRAIN-
   18  ING INITIATIVES UNDER THE PROGRAM IN COOPERATION WITH REGIONAL AND LOCAL
   19  ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  AGENCIES,  CENTERS  FOR  ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, THE
   20  STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR AND ECONOMIC DEVEL-
   21  OPMENT, INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INCLUDING THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY
   22  OF NEW YORK AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, AND THE URBAN DEVELOP-
   23  MENT  CORPORATION.    THE  PLAN  SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO THE
   24  FOLLOWING:
   25    (I) A STATEMENT OF PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES;
   26    (II) A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH PROJECTS WILL BE IDEN-
   27  TIFIED;
   28    (III) SPECIFICATION OF CRITERIA TO BE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECT  APPLI-
   29  CATIONS;
   30    (IV) IDENTIFICATION OF MEASURABLE OUTCOMES SUCH AS THE NUMBER OF INDI-
   31  VIDUALS  TRAINED, JOBS CREATED OR RETAINED, AND OTHER OBJECTIVE ECONOMIC
   32  DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM; AND
   33    (V) SPECIFICATION OF A MATCHING REQUIREMENT, EITHER CASH, IN-KIND,  OR
   34  BOTH, WHICH SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN HALF THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANT REQUEST.
   35    (B)  COORDINATE WITH THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF
   36  LABOR, THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK,  THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW
   37  YORK,  AND  OTHER  PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS NEEDED TO
   38  CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION; AND
   39    (C) PROMOTE THE AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM AND  OTHER  HIGH-TECH  INITI-
   40  ATIVES  AMONG BUSINESSES, BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS, AND REGIONAL AND LOCAL
   41  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES.
   42    4. THE OFFICE  SHALL  PROVIDE  ASSISTANCE  TO  ELIGIBLE  ENTITIES  FOR
   43  PURPOSES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
   44  OF:
   45    (A)  PROJECTS  FOR  OCCUPATION  SPECIFIC  TRAINING  AND RETRAINING FOR
   46  EMPLOYED OR UNEMPLOYED WORKERS IN SKILLS REPRESENTED IN HIGH-TECH INDUS-
   47  TRIES;
   48    (B) PROJECTS TO TRAIN EMPLOYEES IN SMALL HIGH-TECH FIRMS USING  ALTER-
   49  NATIVE METHODS OF INSTRUCTION SUCH AS DISTANCE LEARNING;
   50    (C)  COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING PROGRAMS USING MULTIMEDIA AND INTERACTIVE
   51  PROGRAMMING INCLUDING (I) GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION  TO
   52  DEVELOP  AND IMPLEMENT SUCH PROGRAMS; AND (II) FUNDING SUPPORT FOR BUSI-
   53  NESSES TO ACQUIRE ACCESS TO SUCH PROGRAMS;
   54    (D) PROGRAMS OF APPLIED LEARNING AT THE SECONDARY  LEVEL  OPERATED  IN
   55  PARTNERSHIP  WITH AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INCLUDING WORK-PREP
   56  ACTIVITY PURSUANT TO SECTION THIRTY-SIX HUNDRED TWO-D OF  THE  EDUCATION
       A. 8869                             3
    1  LAW,  SCHOOL-TO-WORK,  AND  OTHER DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS TO INCREASE THE
    2  AWARENESS OF YOUTH OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN SCIENTIFIC AND  TECHNOLOG-
    3  ICAL FIELDS; AND
    4    (E) INNOVATIVE PROJECTS TO INCREASE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF GRADU-
    5  ATES  FROM  POST-SECONDARY  PROGRAMS  WHO ARE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT IN HIGH
    6  TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES INCLUDING PROJECTS DIRECTED AT INCREASING  ENROLL-
    7  MENTS AND RETENTION OF MINORITY AND WOMEN STUDENTS INTERESTED IN CAREERS
    8  IN HIGH TECHNOLOGY OCCUPATIONAL CLUSTERS.
    9    5.  APPLICATIONS  FOR  ASSISTANCE  UNDER  THIS SECTION SHALL INCLUDE A
   10  DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT  TO  BE  FUNDED  INCLUDING,  AS  APPROPRIATE,
   11  DETAILED INFORMATION ON:
   12    (A)  THE  TYPE OF SKILLS TRAINING OR EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY THAT WILL BE
   13  PROVIDED;
   14    (B) THE TECHNOLOGIES TO BE USED TO DELIVER TRAINING;
   15    (C) STRATEGIES TO DISSEMINATE THE TRAINING AND THE TRAINING TECHNOLOGY
   16  AMONG FIRMS;
   17    (D) THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT  INCLUDING  JOB  CREATION  AND
   18  RETENTION;
   19    (E)  IDENTIFICATION  OF  RESOURCES  THAT  WILL  BE USED TO SUPPORT THE
   20  PROJECT BEYOND THE PERIOD OF THE INITIAL GRANT; AND
   21    (F) THE AMOUNT OF ANY CASH  OR  IN-KIND  MATCH  USED  TO  SUPPORT  THE
   22  PROJECT.
   23    6. ALLOWABLE EXPENSES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO CURRICULUM DEVEL-
   24  OPMENT,  INSTRUCTION,  AND  COSTS  ASSOCIATED  WITH  THE DEVELOPMENT AND
   25  IMPLEMENTATION OF TECHNOLOGIES AND SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE  THE
   26  DELIVERY  OF  TRAINING  TO EMPLOYEES OF SMALL HIGH TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES
   27  AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO STUDENTS WHO MAY  SEEK  EMPLOYMENT  IN  HIGH
   28  TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES.
   29    7.  ON  OR  BEFORE OCTOBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN AND ON OR BEFORE
   30  OCTOBER FIRST EACH YEAR THEREAFTER,  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  SUBMIT  TO  THE
   31  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  LEGISLATURE  A  REPORT  REGARDING  THE STATUS OF THE
   32  PROGRAM. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   33    (A) A LIST OF CONTRACTS, GRANTS, OR AWARDS ISSUED TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES
   34  AND THE AMOUNT, PURPOSE, AND  OBJECTIVE  OF  EACH  CONTRACT,  GRANT,  OR
   35  AWARD;
   36    (B)  THE  NAMES  OF  FIRMS  SERVED  THROUGH  THE  PROGRAM  INCLUDING A
   37  DESCRIPTION OF EACH FIRM;
   38    (C) DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CURRICULAR MATERIALS AND  TECHNOLOGIES  DEVEL-
   39  OPED AND IMPLEMENTED TO SUPPORT TRAINING IN SUCH FIRMS; AND
   40    (D)  AN  ASSESSMENT  OF  THE  EXTENT TO WHICH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
   41  IDENTIFIED IN THE ANNUAL PLAN REQUIRED  PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF
   42  SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION HAVE BEEN REACHED.
   43    S  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect  on  the first of September next
   44  succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
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