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Sectoral Market Assessment for Regional Training Enhancement and Revitalization Act (Introduced in Senate)
S 1163 IS
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1163
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for strategic sectoral skills gap assessments, strategic skills gap action plans, and strategic training capacity enhancement seed grants, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 6, 2005
Ms. CANTWELL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for strategic sectoral skills gap assessments, strategic skills gap action plans, and strategic training capacity enhancement seed grants, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Sectoral Market Assessment for Regional Training Enhancement and Revitalization Act' .
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) More than 1/3 of the Nation's current workforce lacks the basic skills necessary to succeed in today's labor market.
(2) Globalization of the economy is leading to losses of jobs in key domestic industries, as well as challenges to competitiveness and productivity in other domestic industries.
(3) To remain economically vital and competitive, the Nation must invest in generating jobs and train a workforce skilled enough to contribute productively to the United States economy.
(4) Strategic planning that links workforce development and economic development, and the targeting of resources to industries that can build strong regional economies and create jobs with living wages for workers, need to be priorities for the workforce investment system.
(5) States and local workforce investment boards can play lead roles in guiding a more strategic process for achieving economic growth through workforce development.
SEC. 3. SKILLS GAP CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS.
Subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2811 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 137 as section 138; and
(2) by inserting after section 136 the following:
`SEC. 137. SKILLS GAP CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS.
`(a) Purposes- The purposes of this section are--
`(1) to assist States and local boards in better focusing funds provided under this subtitle on activities and programs that address labor shortages and meet the emerging demand for skills in high-quality jobs in area industries;
`(2) to enhance the efficiency of the one-stop delivery systems and providers of training services;
`(3) to establish and improve partnerships between local boards, industry sectors, economic development agencies, providers of training services (including secondary schools, postsecondary educational institutions, community-based organizations, business associations, and providers of joint labor-management programs), providers of supportive services, and other related public and private entities;
`(4) to strengthen integration of workforce development strategies and economic development strategies in States, local areas, and labor markets;
`(5) to retain vital industries in the local areas and regions involved, avoid dislocation of workers, and strengthen the competitiveness of key industries; and
`(6) to encourage the development of career ladders and advancement efforts in local industries.
`(b) Definitions- In this section:
`(1) CONSORTIUM- The term `consortium' means a consortium of local boards, established as described in subsection (d)(3).
`(2) REGION- The term `region' means 2 or more local areas that comprise a common labor market for an industry sector or group of related occupations.
`(3) TRAINING SERVICES- The term `training services' means services described in section 134(d)(4).
`(c) Grants to States-
`(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall make grants to States, to enable the States to assist local boards and consortia in carrying out the activities described in subsection (e).
`(2) FORMULA-
`(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall make the grants in accordance with the formula used to make grants to States under section 132(b)(1)(B) (other than clause (iv)), subject to subparagraph (B).
`(B) SMALL STATE MINIMUM ALLOTMENT- The Secretary shall ensure that no State shall receive an allotment under this paragraph for a fiscal year that is less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the funds made available to carry out this section for that fiscal year.
`(d) Grants to Local Boards-
`(1) IN GENERAL- A State that receives a grant under subsection (c)--
`(A) shall use the funds made available through the grant to make grants to local boards and consortia to carry out the activities described in subsection (e); and
`(B) may use not more than 15 percent of the funds made available through the grant, at the election of the State, to prepare strategic sectoral skills gap assessments, as described in subsection (e)(2), in the local areas or regions involved, or to provide technical assistance to local boards, consortia, or partnerships described in subsection (e)(3).
`(2) CONSIDERATION- In making the grants, the State may take into account the size of the workforce in each local area or region.
`(3) CONSORTIA- States shall encourage local boards to aggregate, to the maximum extent practicable, into consortia representing regions, for purposes of carrying out activities described in subsection (e). Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require local boards to aggregate into such consortia.
`(4) APPLICATIONS- To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a local board or consortium shall submit an application to the State, at such time and in such manner as the State may require, containing--
`(A) information identifying the members of the partnership described in subsection (e)(3) that will carry out the activities described in subsection (e); and
`(B) an assurance that the board or consortium will use, or ensure that the partnership uses, the funds to carry out the activities described in subsection (e).
`(e) Use of Funds-
`(1) IN GENERAL- A local board or consortium that receives a grant under this section--
`(A) shall ensure that the partnership described in paragraph (3) uses the funds made available through the grant to--
`(i) prepare a strategic sectoral skills gap assessment, as described in paragraph (2), unless the State elects to prepare the assessment;
`(ii) develop a strategic skills gap action plan, as described in paragraph (4); and
`(iii) provide strategic training capacity enhancement seed grants to providers of training services specified in subsection (a)(3), one-stop operators, and other appropriate intermediaries, as described in paragraph (5); and
`(B) may use funds made available through the grant to ensure that activities carried out under this subtitle are carried out in accordance with the strategic skills gap action plan.
`(2) STRATEGIC SECTORAL SKILLS GAP ASSESSMENT-
`(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subparagraph (E), the local board or consortium (or, at the election of the State, that State) shall prepare a strategic sectoral skills gap assessment, which shall--
`(i) identify areas of current and expected demand for labor and skills in a specific industry sector or group of related occupations that is--
`(I) producing high-quality jobs in the local area or region involved;
`(II) developing emerging jobs in that area or region; or
`(III) suffering chronic worker shortages;
`(ii) identify the current and expected supply of labor and skills in that sector or group in the local area or region; and
`(iii) identify gaps between the current and expected demand and supply of labor and skills in that sector or group in the local area or region.
`(B) SPECIFIC CONTENTS- The assessment shall contain data regarding--
`(i)(I) specific high-quality employment opportunities offered by industries in the local area or region; and
`(II) specific skills desired for such opportunities;
`(ii)(I) occupations and positions in the local area or region that are difficult to fill; and
`(II) specific skills desired for such occupations and positions;
`(iii)(I) areas of growth and decline among industries and occupations in the local area or region; and
`(II) specific skills desired for such growth areas; and
`(iv) specific inventories of skills of unemployed or underemployed individuals in the local area or region.
`(C) INFORMATION- The assessment shall contain current (as of the date of preparation of the assessment) information including specific information from multiple employers in the sector or group described in subparagraph (A)(i), labor organizations, and others connected to the businesses and workers in that sector or group, to illuminate local needs of both employers and workers. To the maximum extent possible, the information shall be regularly updated information.
`(D) SURVEY- The assessment shall contain the results of a survey or focus group interviews of employers and labor organizations and other relevant individuals and organizations in the local area or region.
`(E) EXCEPTION-
`(i) STATE- A State shall not be required to use the funds made available through a grant received under this section, to prepare an assessment described in this paragraph.
`(ii) LOCAL BOARD OR CONSORTIUM- A local board or consortium shall not be required to use the funds made available through a grant received under this section, to prepare an assessment described in this paragraph, if the local board or consortium demonstrates that, within the 2 years prior to receiving the grant, an assessment that meets the requirements of this paragraph has been prepared for the local area or region involved.
`(3) SKILLS PARTNERSHIP- In carrying out this section, local boards and consortia shall enter into partnerships that include--
`(A) representatives of the local boards for the local area or region involved;
`(B) representatives of multiple employers for a specific industry sector or group of related occupations, and related sectors or occupations, identified through the assessment described in paragraph (2) as having identified gaps between the current and expected demand and supply of labor and skills in the industry sector or group of related occupations in the local area or region involved;
`(C) representatives of economic development agencies for the local area or region;
`(D) representatives of providers of training services described in subsection (a)(3) in the local area or region;
`(E) representatives nominated by State labor federations or local labor federations; and
`(F) other entities that can provide needed supportive services tailored to the needs of workers in the sector or group.
`(4) STRATEGIC SKILLS GAP ACTION PLAN- The partnership shall develop a strategic skills gap action plan, based on the assessment, that--
`(A)(i) identifies specific barriers to adequate supply of labor and skills in demand in a specific industry sector or group of related occupations that is producing high-quality jobs in the local area or region involved; and
`(ii) identifies activities (which may include the provision of needed supportive services) that will remove or alleviate the barriers described in clause (i) that could be undertaken by one-stop operators and providers of training services described in subsection (a)(3);
`(B) specifies how the local board (or consortium) and economic development agencies in the partnership will integrate the board's or consortium's workforce development strategies with local or regional economic development strategies in that sector or group; and
`(C) identifies resources and strategies that will be used in the local area or region to address the skill gaps for both unemployed and incumbent workers in that sector or group.
`(5) STRATEGIC TRAINING CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT SEED GRANTS-
`(A) IN GENERAL- The local board or consortium, after consultation with the partnership, shall make grants to providers of training services described in subsection (a)(3), one-stop operators, and other appropriate intermediaries to pay for the Federal share of the cost of--
`(i) developing curricula to meet needs identified in the assessment described in paragraph (2) and to overcome barriers identified in the plan described in paragraph (4);
`(ii) modifying the programs of training services offered by the providers in order to meet those needs and overcome those barriers;
`(iii) operating pilot training efforts that demonstrate new curricula, or modifications to curricula, described in clause (i);
`(iv) expanding capacity of providers of training services in sectors or groups described in paragraph (2)(A)(i);
`(v) reorganizing service delivery systems to better serve the needs of employers and workers in the sectors or groups; or
`(vi) developing business services to ensure retention and greater competitiveness of the sectors or groups.
`(B) FEDERAL SHARE-
`(i) IN GENERAL- The Federal share of the cost described in subparagraph (A) shall be 75 percent.
`(ii) NON-FEDERAL SHARE- The non-Federal share of the cost may be provided in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services.'.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 138 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2872), as redesignated by section 3(1), is amended by adding at the end the following:
`(d) Skills Gap Capacity Enhancement Grants- In addition to any amounts authorized to be appropriated under subsection (a), (b), or (c), there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 137 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2006 through 2009.'.
SEC. 5. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Table of Contents- The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is amended by striking the item relating to section 137 and inserting the following:
`Sec. 137. Skills gap capacity enhancement grants.
`Sec. 138. Authorization of appropriations.'.
(b) References to Authorization of Appropriations-
(1) YOUTH ACTIVITIES- Subsections (a) and (b)(1) of section 127 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2852) are amended by striking `section 137(a)' each place it appears and inserting `section 138(a)'.
(2) ADULT EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES- Section 132(a)(1) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2862(a)(1)) is amended by striking `section 137(b)' and inserting `section 138(b)'.
(3) DISLOCATED WORKER EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES- Subsections (a)(2) and (b)(2)(A)(i) of section 132 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2862) are amended by striking `section 137(c)' each place it appears and inserting `section 138(c)'.
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