Sec. 31-3h. Connecticut Employment and Training Commission: Duties. Report. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 31-3h. Connecticut Employment and Training Commission: Duties. Report. (a) There is created, within the Office of Workforce Competitiveness established under section 4-124w, the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission.

      (b) The duties and responsibilities of the commission shall include:

      (1) Carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a state job training coordinating council pursuant to the federal Job Training Partnership Act, 29 USC 1532, as amended, a state human resource investment council pursuant to 29 USC 1501 et seq., as amended, and such other related entities as the Governor may direct;

      (2) Reviewing all employment and training programs in the state to determine their success in leading to and obtaining the goal of economic self-sufficiency and to determine if such programs are serving the needs of Connecticut's workers, employers and economy;

      (3) Developing a plan for the coordination of all employment and training programs in the state to avoid duplication and to promote the delivery of comprehensive, individualized employment and training services. The plan shall contain the commission's recommendations for policies and procedures to enhance the coordination and collaboration of all such programs and shall be submitted on June 1, 2000, and annually thereafter, to the Governor for the Governor's approval;

      (4) Reviewing and commenting on all employment and training programs enacted by the General Assembly;

      (5) Implementing the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, P.L. 105-220, as from time to time amended. Such implementation shall include (A) developing, in consultation with the regional workforce development boards, a single Connecticut workforce development plan that (i) complies with the provisions of said act and section 31-11p, and (ii) includes comprehensive state performance measures for workforce development activities specified in Title I of the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, P.L. 105-220, as from time to time amended, which performance measures comply with the requirements of 20 CFR Part 666.100, (B) preparing and submitting a report on the state's progress in achieving such performance measures to the Governor and the General Assembly annually on January thirty-first, (C) making recommendations to the General Assembly concerning the allocation of funds received by the state under said act and making recommendations to the regional workforce development boards concerning the use of formulas in allocating such funds to adult employment and job training activities and youth activities, as specified in said act, (D) providing oversight and coordination of the state-wide employment statistics system required by said act, (E) as appropriate, recommending to the Governor that the Governor apply for workforce flexibility plans and waiver authority under said act, after consultation with the regional workforce development boards, (F) developing performance criteria for regional workforce development boards to utilize in creating a list of eligible providers, and (G) on or before December 31, 1999, developing a uniform individual training accounts voucher system that shall be used by the regional workforce development boards to pay for training of eligible workers by eligible providers, as required under said act;

      (6) Developing and overseeing a plan for the continuous improvement of the regional workforce development boards established pursuant to section 31-3k;

      (7) Developing incumbent worker, and vocational and manpower training programs, including customized job training programs to enhance the productivity of Connecticut businesses and to increase the skills and earnings of underemployed and at-risk workers, and other programs administered by the regional workforce development boards. The Labor Department, in collaboration with the regional workforce development boards, shall implement any incumbent worker and customized job training programs developed by the commission pursuant to this subdivision; and

      (8) Developing a strategy for providing comprehensive services to eligible youths, which strategy shall include developing youth preapprentice and apprentice programs through, but not limited to, regional vocational-technical schools, and improving linkages between academic and occupational learning and other youth development activities.

      (c) On January 31, 2000, and annually thereafter, the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission shall submit to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, education, labor and social services a report on the progress made by the commission in carrying out its duties and responsibilities during the preceding year and the commission's goals and objectives for the current year.

      (P.A. 89-292, S. 1, 6; P.A. 94-116, S. 20, 28; P.A. 97-263, S. 1; P.A. 99-195, S. 2, 15; P.A. 00-192, S. 21, 102; P.A. 01-42, S. 1, 3; P.A. 03-19, S. 72; P.A. 06-196, S. 159.)

      History: P.A. 94-116 added a reference to state human resource investment council, effective July 1, 1994; (Revisor's note: In 1997 a reference in Subsec. (a) to "Department of Labor" was changed editorially by the Revisors to "Labor Department" for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 97-263 added Subsec. (b)(4) expanding duties to include reviewing and commenting on employment and training programs enacted by the General Assembly; P.A. 99-195 made technical changes, amended Subsec. (b) to expand commission's duties to include implementation of federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 in new Subdiv. (5), development and overseeing of plan for improving regional workforce development boards in new Subdiv. (6), development of incumbent worker, and vocational and manpower training programs in new Subdiv. (7) and development of strategy for providing comprehensive youth services in new Subdiv. (8) and amended Subsec. (c) to extend the commission's deadline for submitting its annual progress report and require submission of such report to committees with cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, education, labor and social services, effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 00-192 amended Subsec. (a) by transferring commission from Labor Department to Office of Workforce Competitiveness, effective July 1, 2000 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a), a reference to "section 7 of this act" was deemed by the Revisors to be a reference to section 19 which established the Office of Workforce Competitiveness, and codified accordingly as section "4-124w", for accuracy); P.A. 01-42 amended Subsec. (b)(5)(B) by changing reference to "on or before said date and annually thereafter" to "annually on January thirty-first", effective May 31, 2001; P.A. 03-19 made technical changes in Subsec. (b)(5)(A)(ii), effective May 12, 2003; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(8), effective June 7, 2006.