SECTIONS 88530-88532 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 88530-88532

88530. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the programs
and services provided through the ED>Net Program shall be flexible
and responsive to the needs identified through the statewide and
regional planning process. Services shall be demand-driven, and
delivery structures shall be agile, performance-oriented,
cost-effective, and contribute to regional economic growth and
competitiveness. The use of economic and workforce development
program centers, local economic development corporations,
industry-driven regional collaboratives, and business networks,
employers, and service providers shall provide a stable and flexible
response mechanism for the identification of training priorities and
to focus resources on short-term intensive projects for high growth
sectors. These networks shall have the flexibility to meet the demand
for new and emerging growth sectors and be formed, modified,
eliminated, and reformed for short- or long-term responses customized
to the duration of the need. Programs and projects developed and
implemented at centers and industry-driven regional collaborative
projects may act as catalysts for future vocational education
programs in the system.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that centers shall be
established as the long-term structure of the network's service
delivery system. Centers shall provide regional sites to efficiently
respond to employer and worker needs, and shall deliver services for
the strategic initiative areas pursuant to the mission of the
community colleges economic and workforce development program.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that industry-driven
regional collaboratives perform services as participants of regional
networks. Grants by industry-driven regional collaboratives shall
provide flexibility for local projects to assess and define their
individual project needs. New local programs and equipment shall be
key components of these grants. Funding shall not be limited per
project, but shall be based on the merit and reasonable cost for the
anticipated outcomes and performance of the project. Funding for
industry-driven regional collaboratives shall be limited to two
consecutive fiscal years.

88531. Economic and workforce development program centers and
California Community College participation in industry-driven
regional collaboratives may provide any or all of the following
services and perform the following functions as participants of
networks, including, but not necessarily limited to, all of the
following:
(a) Curriculum development, design, and modification that
contribute to workforce skill development common to industry clusters
within a region.
(b) Development of instructional packages focusing on the
technical skill specific to emerging occupations in targeted
industries and growing industry clusters.
(c) Faculty mentorships, faculty and staff development, in-service
training, and worksite experience supporting the new curriculum and
instructional modes responding to identified regional needs.
(d) Institutional support, professional development, and
transformational activities focused on removing systematic barriers
to the development of new methods, transition to a flexible and more
responsive administration of programs, and the timely and
cost-effective delivery of services.
(e) The deployment of new methodologies, modes, and technologies
that enhance performance and outcomes and improve cost effectiveness
of service delivery or create new college programs.
(f) One-on-one counseling, seminars, workshops, and conferences
that contribute to the achievement of the success of existing
business and foster the growth of new business and jobs in emerging
industry clusters.
(g) The delivery of performance-improvement training, which shall
be provided on a matching basis to employers to benefit workforce
participants. This will promote continuous workforce improvement in
identified strategic priority areas, identified industry clusters, or
areas targeted in the regional business resource assistance and
innovation network plans.
(h) Credit and noncredit programs and courses that contribute to
workforce skill development common to industry clusters within a
region or that focus on the technical skills specific to emerging
occupations in targeted industries and growing industry clusters, as
identified by regional needs assessment.
(i) Subsidized student internships on a cash or in-kind matching
basis for program participants in occupational categories determined
to be consistent with the skill clusters necessary to be successful
in the identified strategic priority areas, identified industry
clusters, or areas targeted by network infrastructure plans.
(j) Acquisition of equipment to support the eligible activities
and the limited renovation of facilities to accommodate the delivery
of eligible services.

88532. (a) The board of governors shall assist economic and
workforce regional development centers and consortia, including
middle and junior high schools or high schools and regional
occupational centers and programs, to improve linkages and
career-technical education pathways between high schools and
community colleges for the benefit of pupils and students in both
education systems. This assistance shall include all of the
following:
(1) Expanding certificate programs in identified economic
development program strategic priority areas.
(2) Aligning existing technical preparation programs and
career-technical education curriculum between high schools and
community colleges to more targeted industry-driven programs through
the models consistent with economic and workforce development
strategic priority areas.
(3) Promoting the California Community Colleges Economic and
Workforce Development Program's successful integration of business
and emerging industries with career technical programs provided in
high schools.
(4) Creating new articulated courses between high schools and
community colleges and, where appropriate, four-year institutions.
(5) Accelerating education and training for those students who
choose to be prepared for career and technical employment
opportunities in less traditional and more expeditious methods while
maintaining and or improving student competencies.
(6) Exploring new and more relevant career and technical practicum
models that integrate coursework and student internship.
(7) Improving the quality of career exploration and career
outreach materials.
(8) Disseminating materials and curriculum to all middle schools
and senior high schools.
(b) The chancellor shall develop an implementation strategy for
the program objectives delineated in this section as a part of the
annual expenditure plan submitted to the advisory committee for the
California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development
Program and the board of governors.
(c) This section shall be operative only in fiscal years for which
funds have been appropriated by the Legislature expressly for the
purposes of this section.
(d) The board of governors shall ensure that elementary and
secondary school educators strongly collaborate with college faculty
in implementing this section.