Bill Text: PA SB552 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Providing for industry partnerships.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2011-07-07 - Act No. 67 [SB552 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-SB552-Amended.html

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HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 619 PRINTER'S NO. 1442
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 552 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY BRUBAKER, GORDNER, TARTAGLIONE, FOLMER, SMUCKER, ORIE, WARD, ARGALL, ERICKSON, RAFFERTY, YAW, KASUNIC, TOMLINSON, BROWNE, WOZNIAK, ALLOWAY, COSTA, BREWSTER, BOSCOLA, GREENLEAF, SOLOBAY, PIPPY, YUDICHAK, MENSCH, LEACH, FERLO, FARNESE, FONTANA, STACK, DINNIMAN, BAKER, WASHINGTON, McILHINNEY, BLAKE AND D. WHITE, FEBRUARY 22, 2011
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 27, 2011
AN ACT
Amending the act of December 18, 2001 (P.L.949, No.114),
entitled, as amended, "An act establishing a unified
workforce investment system; restructuring certain
administrative functions, procedures and entities;
transferring workforce development functions of Commonwealth
agencies; establishing the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment
Board; providing for critical job training grants, for
guarantees for program quality and performance for workforce
development programs, for workforce leadership grants; and
authorizing local workforce investment boards," providing for
industry partnerships.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The title of the act of December 18, 2001
(P.L.949, No.114), known as the Workforce Development Act,
amended December 16, 2002 (P.L.1930, No.224), is amended to
read:
AN ACT
Establishing a unified workforce investment system;
restructuring certain administrative functions, procedures
and entities; transferring workforce development functions of
Commonwealth agencies; establishing the Pennsylvania
Workforce Investment Board; providing for critical job
training grants, for guarantees for program quality and
performance for workforce development programs, for workforce
leadership grants, for industry partnerships; and authorizing
local workforce investment boards.
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 13
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
Section 1301. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Career pathways." An identified series of positions, work
experiences or educational benchmarks or credentials which offer
occupational and financial advancement within a specified career
field or related fields over time.
"Department." The Department of Labor and Industry.
"High-priority occupations." Occupations which have a
significant presence in a targeted industry cluster, are in
demand by employers and pay or lead to payment of a family-
sustaining wage.
"Industry cluster." A group of employers closely linked by
common product or services, workforce needs, similar
technologies, supply chains or other economic ties.
"Industry partnership." A collaboration which brings
together multiple employers and workers or, when appropriate,
worker representatives and career and technical educators, in a
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targeted industry cluster to address common workforce needs.
"Industry partnership performance improvement and evaluation
system." The evaluation system established under section 1309.
"Participating agency." An agency under the Governor's
jurisdiction.
"TANF." The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program
under the Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 301 et
seq.), which provides temporary assistance to needy, dependent
children and their parents or caretaker relatives.
"Targeted industry cluster." An industry cluster identified
by the department as having a Statewide economic impact,
immediate workforce development needs and emerging or
competitive career opportunities.
Section 1302. Industry clusters.
(a) Identification of industry clusters.--The department
shall work with businesses, industry associations, career and
technical associations and organizations, participating
agencies, State and local workforce investment boards and
economic development entities to identify industry clusters
based on the following:
(1) Statistics showing the competitiveness of a
potential industry cluster.
(2) Importance of an industry cluster to the economic
development of this Commonwealth.
(3) Identification of other employers that supply
materials, technology and services to the industry.
(4) Research studies on industry clusters.
(5) Any other criteria deemed relevant by the
department.
(b) Identification of targeted industry clusters.--The
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department shall work with State and regional workforce and
economic development agencies, with input from regional business
and labor leaders, to identify which industry clusters shall be
targeted for workforce and economic development investments
based on:
(1) Importance of the cluster to the economy of this
Commonwealth and the region.
(2) Workforce development needs.
(3) Economic growth potential.
(4) Competitiveness.
(5) Employment base.
(6) Wages, benefits and career opportunities.
(c) Ongoing evaluation.--The department shall periodically
evaluate the targeted industry clusters to determine the need
for any changes to the targeted industry clusters.
(d) Publication of information.--The department shall issue
by July 1 of each year, on its website, information and
statistics on the targeted industry clusters, including labor
market information highlighting the clusters. The information
shall include an occupational analysis depicting the employment
and wages within the targeted industry cluster.
(e) List of occupations.--The department shall annually
issue a list of Statewide and regional high-priority occupations
which will guide workforce and educational investments by the
department and participating agencies.
Section 1303. Grant program.
(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish and
administer a grant program to provide funding to industry
partnerships from funds appropriated by the General Assembly for
the purposes of this act.
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(b) Use of grant funding.--Industry partnerships shall, to
the extent funds are available, use a grant awarded under this
section to do any of the following:
(1) Organize businesses, employers, workers, labor
organizations and industry associations into a collaborative
structure that supports the sharing of information, ideas and
challenges common to their industry cluster.
(2) Identify the training needs of multiple businesses,
including skill gaps critical to competitiveness and
innovation to their industry cluster.
(3) Facilitate economies of scale by aggregating
training and education needs of multiple employers.
(4) Assist educational and training institutions in
aligning curricula and programs to industry demand,
particularly for high-priority occupations.
(5) Collaborate with the PA CareerLinks, youth councils,
business-education partnerships, intermediate units,
secondary and postsecondary educational institutions,
parents, career counselors and career and technical educators
for the purpose of addressing the challenges of connecting
disadvantaged adults and youth to careers.
(6) Assist companies in identifying and working together
to address common organizational and human resource
challenges, including recruiting new workers, retaining
incumbent workers, implementing a high-performance work
organization, adopting new technologies and fostering
experiential and contextualized on-the-job learning.
(7) Assist in developing and strengthening career
ladders within and across companies, enabling entry-level
workers to improve skills and advance to higher-wage jobs.
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(8) Assist partner companies in industry partnerships in
attracting a diverse work force, including individuals with
barriers to employment. This shall include the economically
disadvantaged, youth, older workers, ex-offenders and the
physically and developmentally disabled.
(9) Assist in strengthening connections among businesses
in industry clusters, leading to cooperation, beyond
workforce issues, which would improve competitiveness and job
quality, including joint purchasing, market research or
centers for technology and innovation.
Section 1304. Grant program operation.
In order to receive grant funding under this section, an
industry partnership must, in its grant application, do all of
the following:
(1) Show evidence of involvement of the local workforce
investment board.
(2) Show evidence of participation of workers or labor
representatives in industry partnerships.
(3) Provide for private sector matching funding of at
least 25% of the grant.
(4) Commit to participate in the industry partnership's
performance improvement and evaluation system.
Section 1305. Powers and duties.
The department shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) Establish grant guidelines and develop grant
applications.
(2) Develop forms and institute procedures to award
competitive grants under this section.
(3) Establish a process to review applications.
(4) Establish a process for providing applicants with
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additional information about eligibility requirements and
assistance in preparing applications.
(5) Provide technical assistance to grant applicants and
grantees.
(6) Apply for grants and seek other revenue sources to
fund the industry partnership administrative and training
activities.
Section 1306. Grant period.
The grant period shall be for a period of not less than 12
months and not more than 24 months. A grantee may apply to renew
the grant.
Section 1307. Interdepartmental cooperation.
(a) Oversight.--The department shall oversee the operation
of the grant program, with appropriate agency staffing support
from the participating agencies.
(b) Assistance.--In addition to the specific departmental
duties under subsection (c), participating agencies shall assist
the department in carrying out this chapter in relation to each
agency's roles and responsibilities, including providing to the
department all information relevant to the implementation of
this chapter. The information shall include all performance
measurement information necessary to evaluate any program or
policy impacting workforce development in this Commonwealth.
(c) Agencies.--The following agencies shall work with the
department as set forth below:
(1) The Department of Agriculture shall:
(i) Advise the department on the agriculture
industry and agriculture education economic development
strategies, programs and initiatives.
(ii) Facilitate agricultural industry clusters, to
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include production agriculture, at the State and local
levels to ensure accurate representation of all sectors
and inclusion of those fields typically categorized as
self-employment.
(iii) Advise the department on career pathways
available in the rural communities of this Commonwealth
and nontraditional career pathways available to urban and
disadvantaged students and citizens.
(iv) Work in collaboration with the department and
the Department of Education to identify emerging career
opportunities, including support in establishing career
ladders and career pathways.
(v) Support initiatives to develop industry-
recognized credentials and new credit-bearing programs in
this Commonwealth's public and private postsecondary
institutions, especially in critical occupations.
(2) The Department of Community and Economic Development
shall:
(i) Advise the department of its workforce and
economic development strategies, programs and
initiatives.
(ii) Align existing training programs with industry
partnerships.
(iii) Make relevant business assistance programs
available to industry partnerships.
(iv) Coordinate with the department on areas of
business retention.
(v) Advise the department of its industry
competitiveness programs and cluster strategies.
(3) The Department of Corrections shall:
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(i) Align training for inmates with industry
clusters and high-priority occupations and annually
review these training programs to assure that the
training programs prepare individuals for high-priority
occupations.
(ii) Align reentry programs to take advantage of
information and career opportunities provided by industry
partnerships.
(4) The Department of Education shall:
(i) Work with the department to support career
pathways.
(ii) Support innovative programs to address
literacy, including English as a second language, and
numeracy shortcomings, especially in those occupations
which are critical to targeted industry clusters and
which lead to postsecondary education and employment.
(iii) Collaborate with the department to develop
programs and strategies to reduce barriers to adult
education.
(iv) Coordinate career education initiatives in
middle and high schools, especially in Project 720
schools and career and technical education programs.
(v) Support initiatives to develop industry-
recognized credentials and new credit-bearing programs in
this Commonwealth's public and private postsecondary
institutions, especially in occupations critical to
targeted industry clusters.
(vi) Work in collaboration with the department to
determine education and skill gaps associated with
targeted industry clusters.
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(vii) Advise and assist high-school-based career and
technical education programs to qualify develop as high- <--
priority occupation programs.
(viii) Within two years following the effective date <--
of this act, regulations may be promulgated by the
Department of Education in consultation with career and
technical school administrators. The regulations shall
conform to career and technical schools' needs and assist
to align their needs with employer demands. Incentives
shall be included to increase alignment. Until this
program and regulations are in effect, secondary career
and technical schools and programs shall not be required
to meet the requirements for high-priority occupations
for program approval.
(5) The Department of Public Welfare shall:
(i) Create and maintain innovative programs which
connect qualified TANF clients with employment
opportunities in the targeted industry clusters.
(ii) Support strategies to prepare TANF clients for
success in postsecondary education and training programs.
(iii) Develop career education initiatives which
provide TANF clients with information to guide their
education and training plans.
(iv) Collect and share employment information with
the department.
Section 1308. Industry and labor market research.
The department shall provide the necessary industry and labor
market research to support and further develop the work of
industry partnerships, including:
(1) Providing current data on all targeted industry
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clusters.
(2) Providing the most current available analysis of
industry employment in this Commonwealth for the purpose of
determining trends in this Commonwealth which may lead to
changes in the targeted industry clusters.
(3) Maintaining and updating the annual list of this
Commonwealth's high-priority occupations.
(4) Providing the most currently available analysis of
high-priority occupations for the purpose of determining
trends which may lead to adjustments to the list.
Section 1309. Industry partnership performance improvement and
evaluation system.
The department shall develop and implement an evaluation and
performance improvement system which does all of the following:
(1) Collects critical industry partnership information
on an annual basis or more frequently as determined by the
department, including:
(i) What the industry partnership has learned.
(ii) What human resource challenges were most common
within the industry partnership.
(iii) The influence and use of technology by the
industry partnership.
(iv) Challenges foreseen by the industry
partnership.
(v) Industry partnership best practices.
(2) Defines the benefits of the industry partnership and
its activities to employers, workers and communities.
(3) Provides annual performance information to the
General Assembly, the public and workforce stakeholders.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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