House Bill hb0135e1

                                    CS/HB 135, First Engrossed/ntc



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Workforce Florida, Inc.;

  3         amending s. 445.004, F.S.; expanding the

  4         utilization of faith-based and community-based

  5         organizations; requiring certain funds to be

  6         expended for after-school care programs;

  7         providing an effective date.

  8

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Subsections (6) and (10) of section

12  445.004, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

13         445.004  Workforce Florida, Inc.; creation; purpose;

14  membership; duties and powers.--

15         (6)  Workforce Florida, Inc., may take action that it

16  deems necessary to achieve the purposes of this section,

17  including, but not limited to:

18         (a)  Creating a state employment, education, and

19  training policy that ensures that programs to prepare workers

20  are responsive to present and future business and industry

21  needs and complement the initiatives of Enterprise Florida,

22  Inc.

23         (b)  Establishing policy direction for a funding system

24  that provides incentives to improve the outcomes of vocational

25  education programs, and of registered apprenticeship and

26  work-based learning programs, and that focuses resources on

27  occupations related to new or emerging industries that add

28  greatly to the value of the state's economy.

29         (c)  Establishing a comprehensive policy related to the

30  education and training of target populations such as those who

31  have disabilities, are economically disadvantaged, receive


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                                    CS/HB 135, First Engrossed/ntc



  1  public assistance, are not proficient in English, or are

  2  dislocated workers. This approach should ensure the effective

  3  use of federal, state, local, and private resources in

  4  reducing the need for public assistance.

  5         (d)  Designating Institutes of Applied Technology

  6  composed of public and private postsecondary institutions

  7  working together with business and industry to ensure that

  8  technical and vocational education programs use the most

  9  advanced technology and instructional methods available and

10  respond to the changing needs of business and industry.

11         (e)  Providing policy direction for a system to project

12  and evaluate labor market supply and demand using the results

13  of the Workforce Estimating Conference created in s. 216.136

14  and the career education performance standards identified

15  under s. 239.233.

16         (f)  Reviewing the performance of public programs that

17  are responsible for economic development, education,

18  employment, and training. The review must include an analysis

19  of the return on investment of these programs.

20         (g)  Expanding the occupations identified by the

21  Workforce Estimating Conference to meet needs created by local

22  emergencies or plant closings or to capture occupations within

23  emerging industries.

24         (h)  Expanding the utilization of faith-based and

25  community-based organizations to work collaboratively in the

26  delivery of services to Florida's citizens.

27         (10)  The workforce development strategy for the state

28  shall be designed by Workforce Florida, Inc., and shall be

29  centered around the strategies of First Jobs/First Wages,

30  Better Jobs/Better Wages, and High Skills/High Wages.

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                                    CS/HB 135, First Engrossed/ntc



  1         (a)  First Jobs/First Wages is the state's strategy to

  2  promote successful entry into the workforce through education

  3  and workplace experience that lead to self-sufficiency and

  4  career advancement. The components of the strategy include

  5  efforts that enlist business, education, and community support

  6  for students to achieve long-term career goals, ensuring that

  7  young people have the academic and occupational skills

  8  required to succeed in the workplace. A minimum of 15 percent

  9  of all Workforce Investment Act youth services funds shall be

10  expended for after-school care programs, through contracts

11  with qualified faith-based and community-based organizations,

12  on an equal basis with other private organizations, to provide

13  after-school care programs to eligible children 14 through 18

14  years of age. Such programs shall include academic tutoring,

15  mentoring, and other appropriate services. Similar services

16  may be provided for eligible children 6 through 13 years of

17  age using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds.

18         (b)  Better Jobs/Better Wages is the state's strategy

19  for assisting employers in upgrading or updating the skills of

20  their employees and for assisting incumbent workers in

21  improving their performance in their current jobs or acquiring

22  the education or training needed to secure a better job with

23  better wages.

24         (c)  High Skills/High Wages is the state's strategy for

25  aligning education and training programs with high-paying,

26  high-demand occupations that advance individuals' careers,

27  build a more skilled workforce, and enhance Florida's efforts

28  to attract and expand job-creating businesses.

29         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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