House File 639 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH
(SUCCESSOR TO HF 264)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act establishing a statewide work=based learning intermediary
2 network grant program and making an appropriation.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1642HV 81
5 kh/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.40 STATEWIDE WORK=BASED
1 2 LEARNING INTERMEDIARY NETWORK == APPROPRIATION == GRANTS.
1 3 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
1 4 state to the department of education for the fiscal year
1 5 beginning July 1, 2005, and each succeeding fiscal year, the
1 6 sum of two million nine hundred thirty=six thousand nine
1 7 hundred four dollars for a statewide work=based learning
1 8 intermediary network grant program.
1 9 2. The department shall administer a statewide work=based
1 10 learning intermediary network grant program. The purpose of
1 11 the program shall be to build a seamless system of career,
1 12 future workforce, and economic development in Iowa to
1 13 accomplish all of the following:
1 14 a. Better prepare students to make informed postsecondary
1 15 education and career decisions.
1 16 b. Provide communication and coordination in order to
1 17 build and sustain relationships between employers and local
1 18 youth, the education system, and the community at=large.
1 19 c. Connect students to local career opportunities,
1 20 creating economic capital for the region using a skilled and
1 21 available workforce.
1 22 d. Facilitate the sharing of best practices statewide by
1 23 business and education leaders.
1 24 e. Provide a one=stop contact point for information useful
1 25 to both educators and employers, including a state=level
1 26 clearinghouse for internships, job shadowing experiences, and
1 27 other workplace learning opportunities for students that are
1 28 linked to the state's economic goals.
1 29 f. Implement services for all students, staff, and
1 30 districts within the region and integrate workplace skills
1 31 into the curriculum.
1 32 g. Develop work=based capacity with employers.
1 33 h. Improve the skills of Iowa's future workforce.
1 34 i. Provide core services, which may include student job
1 35 shadowing, student internships, and teacher or student tours.
2 1 3. Grants shall only be awarded to community=based
2 2 nonprofit incorporated agencies and public agencies which
2 3 shall act as intermediaries connecting employers to schools
2 4 and local communities. Every reasonable effort shall be made
2 5 to award grants to facilitate the establishment of regional
2 6 intermediaries throughout the state, based upon the
2 7 distribution of the kindergarten through grade twelve student
2 8 enrollments in the state.
2 9 4. The department shall provide oversight of and annually
2 10 evaluate an intermediary which is awarded a grant to provide
2 11 resource and referral services to a region.
2 12 5. To be eligible to receive a grant to provide resource
2 13 and referral services, an intermediary shall match the grant
2 14 with financial resources equal to at least twenty=five percent
2 15 of the amount of the grant. The financial resources may
2 16 include a private donation, an in=kind contribution, or a
2 17 public funding source other than a separate state grant for
2 18 work=based programs or services.
2 19 6. An intermediary agency that receives moneys under this
2 20 section shall have a board of directors or an advisory board
2 21 composed of members from business, labor, and education to
2 22 make recommendations regarding school=to=work issues and
2 23 partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities to
2 24 prepare students to enter and succeed in continued education
2 25 and high=wage, high=skill careers.
2 26 EXPLANATION
2 27 This bill appropriates approximately $2.9 million annually
2 28 to the department of education for a statewide work=based
2 29 learning intermediary network grant program. The purpose of
2 30 the program is to build a seamless system of career, future
2 31 workforce, and economic development in Iowa.
2 32 Under the bill, the system must accomplish a number of
2 33 goals, including to better prepare students to make informed
2 34 postsecondary education and career decisions; provide
2 35 communication and coordination in order to build and sustain
3 1 relationships between employers and local youth, the education
3 2 system, and the community at=large; connect students to local
3 3 career opportunities; facilitate the sharing of best practices
3 4 statewide by business and education leaders; and provide a
3 5 one=stop contact point for information useful to both
3 6 educators and employers, including a state=level clearinghouse
3 7 for internships, job shadowing experiences, and other
3 8 workplace learning opportunities for students that are linked
3 9 to the state's economic goals.
3 10 Grants can only be awarded to community=based nonprofit
3 11 incorporated agencies and public agencies which shall act as
3 12 intermediaries connecting employers to schools and local
3 13 communities. The department must annually evaluate grant
3 14 recipients. Grant recipients must match the grant with
3 15 financial resources equal to at least 25 percent of the amount
3 16 of the grant.
3 17 LSB 1642HV 81
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