Bill Text: CA AB1457 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Regional business training center network: pilot project.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-1)

Status: (Vetoed) 2020-08-29 - Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 4435.). [AB1457 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1457-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  August 04, 2020

Amended  IN  Senate  June 29, 2020

Amended  IN  Assembly  May 24, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 11, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1457

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Introduced by Assembly Members Reyes and Cervantes Cervantes and Reyes

February 22, 2019

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An act to add and repeal Section 12098.8 13997.3 of the Government Code, relating to economic development.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1457, as amended, Cervantes. Regional business training center network: pilot project.

Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business Advocate within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as GO-Biz, and prescribes the duties and functions of the Small Business Advocate, to include, among other duties, assisting in the state emergency recovery, response, and preparedness efforts related to small businesses.

Existing law establishes the Employment Training Panel within the Employment Development Department. Under existing law, the panel is charged with performing various duties, including establishing a 3-year plan based on the demand of employers for trained workers, changes in the state’s economy and labor markets, and continuous reviews of the effectiveness of panel training contracts.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program with the purpose of, among other things, using labor market information to advise the chancellor’s office and regional community college bodies on the workforce needs of the state’s competitive and emerging industry sectors, and collaborating and coordinating investment with other state, regional, or local agencies involved in education and workforce training in California. Existing law authorizes the governing board of any community college district to contract education programs by agreement with any public or private agency, corporation, association, or any other person or body, to provide specific educational programs or training to meet the specific needs of those bodies.

This bill would require GO-Biz the Employment Training Panel to establish a pilot project to create a regional business training center network of at least 10 sites through a partnership with the California Community Colleges, the Employment Training Panel, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. The bill would state that the purpose of the pilot project is to support the establishment of a statewide network of regional business training centers, based on the existing California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program, as specified, and to support the upskilling of the regional workforce to meet the demand for jobs in essential industry sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the emerging and dominant industry sectors in the post COVID-19 economy. The bill would require community colleges participating in the pilot project to offer short-term training programs that assist displaced and incumbent workers in obtaining the skills necessary to work within essential, emerging, and dominant industry sectors, as specified. The bill would require GO-Biz the Employment Training Panel to establish an advisory board of businesses, workforces, and economic development stakeholders to provide guidance to the pilot project. The bill would require the Employment Training Panel to submit 2 annual reports on the activities of the pilot project and a final report that includes an overall summary of the activities of the pilot project and an assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot project, as specified.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 (a) California’s dominance in many economic areas is based, in part, on the significant role small businesses play in the state’s $2.9 trillion economy.

(b) Two separate studies, one by the United States Census Bureau and another by the Kaufman Foundation, found that net job growth was strongest among businesses with less than 20 employees. California firms represented 12.6 percent of all businesses in the United States in 2015, with 88.3 percent of firms having less than 20 employees.

(c) Supporting small business development has shown to be a successful inclusive economic growth strategy advantaging businesses throughout the state, including historically underserved business groups such as minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses, and hard to serve areas of the state such as low wealth, rural, and disaster-impacted communities.

(d) In order for the state to fully leverage the economic opportunities represented by supporting small businesses, it is the intent of the Legislature that a two-year pilot project be undertaken to facilitate a statewide network of workforce training centers that can be integrated within the existing network of small business technical and financial assistance centers.

SEC. 2.Section 12098.8 is added to the Government Code, to read:

12098.8.

(a)The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)

SEC. 2.

 Section 13997.3 is added to the Government Code, to read:

13997.3.

 (a) The Employment Training Panel shall establish a pilot project to create a regional business training center network of at least 10 sites through a partnership with the California Community Colleges, the Employment Training Panel, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

(b) GO-Biz shall develop the pilot project to achieve the following purposes:

(1) To support the establishment of a statewide network of regional business training centers, based on the existing contract education units within the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program (Part 52.5 (commencing with Section 88600) of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code) that is funded to create regional business training centers and hold multiple employer contracts with the Employment Training Panel.

(2) To support the upskilling of the regional workforce to meet the demand for jobs in essential industry sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the emerging and dominant industry sectors in the post COVID-19 economy.

(c) (1) Activities Each region’s training activities under the pilot project shall be based on the development of a regional skills map that identifies and compares the occupations that experience the highest number of job losses with those that will require additional workers, including occupations in industries that are considered essential in the state’s response to the pandemic and those that will require additional workers as the state economy recovers.

(2) After the pilot project identifies gaps between two skill sets, Based on the regional skills map developed pursuant to paragraph (1), the contract education units of community colleges participating in the pilot project shall offer short-term training programs that assist displaced and incumbent workers in obtaining the skills necessary to work within essential, emerging, and dominant industry sectors. Where possible, training shall include apprenticeships and other on-the-job-training methods, and result in stackable certificates that are industry recognized. Training provided shall be consistent with the requirements described in subdivision (g) of Section 88821 of the Education Code and qualify as a “short-term workforce training program” as defined in subdivision (q) of Section 88822 of the Education Code.

(d) GO-Biz The Employment Training Panel shall establish an advisory board of businesses, workforces, and economic development stakeholders to provide guidance to the pilot project.

(e)GO-Biz shall report on the activities and pilot project in its 2024 annual report submitted pursuant to Section 12098.4.

(e) The Employment Training Panel shall submit, in compliance with Section 9795, all of the following reports:

(1) On or before October 1, 2021, an annual report of the activities of the pilot project in the previous 12 months.

(2) On or before October 1, 2022, an annual report of the activities of the pilot project in the previous 12 months.

(3) On or before January 1, 2023, a final report that includes an overall summary of the activities of the pilot project and an assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot project in achieving the purposes identified in subdivision (b).

(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.