Bill Text: CA AB1106 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Employment Training Panel: pilot program: employment training needs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-08-11 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB1106 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1106-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 29, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1106

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Introduced by Assembly Members Cervantes and Reyes

February 18, 2021

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1106, as amended, Cervantes. Employment Training Panel: pilot program: employment training needs.

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 Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges 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.

This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would require the Employment Training Panel to establish a pilot program to serve the employment training needs of small businesses. The bill would require the program to leverage the capacity of the existing statewide network of community college contract education centers operating with multiple employer contracts. The bill would require the Employment Training Panel to develop the pilot project to achieve specified purposes, including strengthening the linkages between higher education institutions and employers. The bill would require the Employment Training Panel, in developing the program, to work with key workforce and economic development partners, including the California Community Colleges, Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and the California Workforce Development Board. The bill would also authorize the Employment Training Panel to establish an advisory board consisting of certain one or more ad hoc advisory groups of stakeholders. The bill would require the Employment Training Panel to submit 2 reports to the appropriate legislative committees on the implementation of the program and program activities, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2026.

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) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California’s dominance in many economic areas is based, in part, on the significant role small businesses play in the state’s $3.1 trillion economy.

(2) Two separate studies, one by the United States Census Bureau and another by the Kaufman Foundation, a nationally recognized think tank, 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.

(3) 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.

(b) In order for the state to fully leverage the economic opportunities represented by supporting small businesses, it is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate the alignment and, where appropriate, the integration of the statewide network of workforce training centers administered by the community college contract education centers within the existing network of small business technical and financial assistance centers. Training provided through these centers can serve as an important access point for small business employers and higher education.

(c) In order to better serve the workforce training needs of employers and workers, it is the intent of the Legislature to build upon existing coordination efforts between successful programs at the Employment Training Panel, the California Community Colleges, and California’s local workforce development boards. Recovering from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is placing increased pressure to upskill unemployed and incumbent workers. A more robust regional education and training system is better able to meet the range of workforce needs of business and industry.

SEC. 2.

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

13997.3.

 (a) The Employment Training Panel shall establish a pilot program to serve the employment training needs of small businesses. The pilot program shall leverage the capacity of the existing statewide network of community college contract education centers operating with multiple employer contracts.

(b) The Employment Training Panel shall develop the pilot program to achieve all of the following purposes:

(1) 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.

(2) To strengthen the linkages between higher education institutions and employers.

(3) To enhance the linkages between regional education and training system partners and the regional small business financial and technical assistance centers.

(c) (1) In developing the program, the Employment Training Panel shall consult with key workforce and economic development partners, including, but not limited to, the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and the California Workforce Development Board.

(2) The Employment Training Panel may establish an advisory board one or more ad hoc advisory groups of stakeholders, including, but not limited to, businesses, workers, economic developers, chambers of commerce, small business technical assistance centers, and public entities.

(d) The Employment Training Panel shall submit to the appropriate legislative committees, in compliance with Section 9795, both of the following reports:

(1) Six months from initial funding, a progress report on the implementation of the program.

(2) On or before October 1, 2022, a report on program activities since the prior report.

(e) The reports required pursuant to subdivision (d) shall, in addition, include:

(1) A description of how the funding complemented the work of, and integrated the employers and individuals being served with, the broader workforce, education, and employment system.

(2) A description of how the funding complemented the work of, and, where appropriate, introduced the employers to the services available through the network of small business technical and financial assistance centers and other local and regional business development partners.

(e)

(f) This section shall become operative only upon the Legislature making an appropriation to implement the provisions of this section.

(f)

(g) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.