Bill > S3974

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the "Manufacturing Workforce Development Grant Program" to encourage county colleges in the State to partner with local manufacturers to provide internship opportunities for their students. Through the creation of these partnerships, county colleges will be able to better prepare their students for entry into the workforce by providing real workplace experiences as a complement to traditional classroom instruction. Under the provisions of the bill, the program would be created by the Secretary of Higher Education in consultation with the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. Eighty-five percent of program funds would be used by recipient county colleges to fund student stipends for hours worked at a program internship while the remaining fifteen percent of funds received would be used to cover costs incurred while administering the program, fund career counselor positions, and for any other purposes as may be approved by the secretary to meet the program's objectives. Priority status would be granted to county colleges that demonstrate that one or more of the proposed manufacturing internships to be offered by the college are for careers designated as labor demand occupations. Students who successfully complete a program internship would receive academic credit towards completion of an associate's degree and may earn an offer of employment. The secretary would be required to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature by December 31 of each year concerning the number of new and current partnerships created by each county college with local manufacturers, the total number of students participating in the program, a description of the various work skills students have learned or refined through participation in the program, the number of students in the program who have transferred to a four-year institution of higher education, the number of students who received offers of employment upon successful completion of a program internship, the amount of money distributed through the program and the purposes for which those funds have been used, and any other information deemed relevant by the secretary.

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Mike Testa (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee (on 06/17/2021)