SECTIONS 15000-15003 - California Statutes

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CODE

SECTION 15000-15003

15000. This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the
California Green Collar Jobs Act of 2008.

15001. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The State of California has long been a national and
international leader on environmental, natural resource, pollution
prevention, and energy issues, as well as recent landmark laws in the
areas of climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and
alternative transportation fuels.
(2) The passage of these laws has resulted in billions of dollars
of investment capital flowing into the State of California for
research, development, and commercialization of new green and clean
technologies. This investment of capital is indicative of the rapidly
growing clean and green technology sector of the California economy.
(3) The California Economic Strategy Panel has identified
California's economy as an economy of regions. The panel also adopted
a new way of looking at industry sectors and how they function and
grow as industry clusters. California's green economy is about the
potential of new technologies combined with innovative public policy
and strategic investments to stimulate the growth of new markets for
green products and services.
(4) As the green economy grows, it will be accompanied by an
increased demand for a highly skilled and well-trained "green collar"
workforce.
(5) California state government must act promptly to build the
partnerships, expand the programs, and secure the resources necessary
to meet our green workforce needs. This effort must involve both our
K-12 and higher education systems, labor unions, the environmental
community, workforce development programs, nongovernmental
organizations, philanthropy, and private sector industries.
(6) In acknowledgment of the tremendous size of California's
economy and related infrastructure, the application of sector
strategies in a wide variety of industry sectors is essential to
providing labor for industry and career paths for current and
potential employees. The California Workforce Investment Board shall
adopt a sector strategy approach in responding to industry sector
workforce and economic development needs. This strategy will ensure
industry has a qualified workforce and can offer opportunities for
employment, training, and career advancement for all Californians.
The initial drive of this sector strategy approach will be the
California Green Collar Jobs Act of 2008.

15002. (a) The California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) shall
establish a special committee known as the Green Collar Jobs Council
(GCJC), comprised of the appropriate representatives from the CWIB
existing membership, including the K-12 representative, the
California Community Colleges representative, the Business,
Transportation and Housing Agency representative, the Employment
Development Department representative, and other appropriate members.
The GCJC may consult with other state agencies, other higher
education representatives, local workforce investment boards, and
industry representatives as well as philanthropic, nongovernmental,
and environmental groups, as appropriate, in the development of a
strategic initiative.
(b) As part of the strategic initiative, the GCJC shall focus on
developing the framework, funding, strategies, programs, policies,
partnerships, and opportunities necessary to address the growing need
for a highly skilled and well-trained workforce to meet the needs of
California's emerging green economy. The GCJC shall do all of the
following:
(1) Assist in identifying and linking green collar job
opportunities with workforce development training opportunities in
local workforce investment areas (LWIAs), encouraging regional
collaboration among LWIAs to meet regional economic demands.
(2) Align workforce development activities with regional economic
recovery and growth strategies.
(3) Develop public, private, philanthropic, and nongovernmental
partnerships to build and expand the state's workforce development
programs, network, and infrastructure.
(4) Provide policy guidance for job training programs for the
clean and green technology sectors to help them prepare specific
populations, such as at-risk youth, displaced workers, veterans,
formerly incarcerated individuals, and others facing barriers to
employment.
(5) Develop, collect, analyze, and distribute statewide and
regional labor market data on California's new and emerging green
industries workforce needs, trends, and job growth.
(6) Collaborate with community colleges and other educational
institutions, registered apprenticeship programs, business and labor
organizations, and community-based and philanthropic organizations to
align workforce development services with strategies for regional
economic growth.
(7) Identify funding resources and make recommendations on how to
expand and leverage these funds.
(8) Foster regional collaboratives in the green economic sector.
(c) The CWIB may accept any revenues, moneys, grants, goods, or
services from federal and state entities, philanthropic
organizations, and other sources, to be used for purposes relating to
the administration and implementation of the strategic initiative,
as described in subdivision (b). The CWIB shall also ensure the
highest level of transparency and accountability and make information
available on the CWIB Internet Web site.
(d) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department may
expend the moneys and revenues received pursuant to subdivision (c)
for purposes related to the administration and implementation of the
strategic, and for the award of workforce training grants
implementing the strategic initiative.

15003. (a) On or before April 1, 2011, and annually each April 1
thereafter, the CWIB shall report to the Legislature on the status of
GCJC activities, grants awarded, and its development and
implementation of a green workforce strategic initiative.
(b) The GCJC shall also consult with the appropriate state and
local agencies to identify opportunities to coordinate the award of
grant and green workforce training funds received by the state under
the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public
Law 111-5) or any other funding sources.