The Florida Senate

239.514  Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program.--The Legislature recognizes that the need for school districts and community colleges to be able to respond to emerging local or statewide economic development needs is critical to the workforce development system. The Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program is created to provide grants to school districts and community colleges on a competitive basis to fund some or all of the costs associated with the creation or expansion of workforce development programs that serve specific employment workforce needs.

(1)  Funds awarded for a workforce development capitalization incentive grant may be used for instructional equipment, laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, student services, or other expenses associated with the creation or expansion of a workforce development program. Expansion of a program may include either the expansion of enrollments in a program or expansion into new areas of specialization within a program. No grant funds may be used for recurring instructional costs or for institutions' indirect costs.

(2)  The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission shall accept applications from school districts or community colleges for workforce development capitalization incentive grants. Applications from school districts or community colleges shall contain projected enrollments and projected costs for the new or expanded workforce development program. The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission, in consultation with the Jobs and Education Partnership, the Department of Education, and the State Board of Community Colleges, shall review and rank each application for a grant according to subsection (3) and shall submit to the Legislature a list in priority order of applications recommended for a grant award.

(3)  The commission shall give highest priority to programs that train people to enter high-skill, high-wage occupations identified by the occupational forecasting conference and other programs approved by the Jobs and Education Partnership; programs that train people to enter occupations on the WAGES list; or programs that train for the workforce adults who are eligible for public assistance, economically disadvantaged, disabled, not proficient in English, or dislocated workers. The commission shall consider the statewide geographic dispersion of grant funds in ranking the applications and shall give priority to applications from education agencies that are making maximum use of their workforce development funding by offering high-performing, high-demand programs.

History.--s. 2, ch. 98-58.