Public Act 101-0437
 
SB1919 EnrolledLRB101 10429 AXK 55535 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by
adding Section 2-26 as follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 805/2-26 new)
    Sec. 2-26. 21st Century Employment grant program.
    (a) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall
establish and administer a 21st Century Employment grant
program. To qualify for a grant, a community college district
and a public high school located in that district must jointly
establish a collaborative regional partnership with workforce
development organizations, including community-based
organizations with a vested interest in the workforce, regional
economic development organizations, and economic development
officials in the district, along with manufacturers,
healthcare service providers, and innovative technology
businesses that have a presence in the district, to provide a
manufacturing training program. A grant recipient must provide
the State Board with a plan that meets all of the following
requirements:
        (1) The plan shall define specific goals that a student
    must meet upon graduation.
        (2) The plan shall include the type of professional
    skills that will be taught in order for the students to
    gain and retain employment. The professional skills
    curriculum in the program shall include, but not be limited
    to, training on all of the following:
            (A) Effective communication skills.
            (B) Teamwork.
            (C) Dependability.
            (D) Adaptability.
            (E) Conflict resolution.
            (F) Flexibility.
            (G) Leadership.
            (H) Problem-solving.
            (I) Research.
            (J) Creativity.
            (K) Work ethic.
            (L) Integrity.
        In awarding grants under this Section, the State Board
    must give priority to plans that demonstrate a formal
    articulation agreement between a public high school and a
    community college district.
        (3) The plan shall include a budget that includes any
    outside donations, including any in-kind donations, made
    to help the program, including from non-profit entities and
    individuals.
        (4) The plan shall include the proposed number of
    individuals who would be enrolled in the program, along
    with the places that those individuals could be employed at
    after graduation and what industries would be targeted. The
    plan must support a seamless transition into higher
    education and career opportunities and must outline the
    college credit and on-the-job training hours that will
    transfer from the high school to a community college.
        (5) The plan shall require a private-public
    partnership clause that requires private businesses to
    contribute an amount determined by the State Board and the
    collaborative regional partnership that does not exceed
    40% of the amount of the total project. The applicant must
    provide the State Board with a receipt of contributions
    from businesses to evidence compliance with this
    paragraph. However, businesses may contribute equipment or
    offer their facilities, in which case a business shall
    establish a cost of use of its facility, to meet the
    requirements of this paragraph.
        (6) The plan shall indicate the certificates that the
    community college or high school will offer to students
    upon graduation, as agreed to by the collaborative regional
    partnership. The community college or high school shall
    offer no less than 6 types of industry-recognized
    certificates.
    (b) The State Board shall establish an advisory board for
the grant program established under subsection (a) that
consists of all of the following members:
        (1) The Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
        (2) The Executive Director of the State Board.
        (3) The State Superintendent of Education.
        (4) The Director of Labor.
        (5) A senator appointed by the President of the Senate.
        (6) A senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the
    Senate.
        (7) A representative appointed by the Speaker of the
    House of Representatives.
        (8) A representative appointed by the Minority Leader
    of the House of Representatives.
        (9) A member from a statewide organization that
    represents manufacturing companies throughout this State,
    appointed by the Governor.
        (10) A member who represents at-risk students,
    including, but not limited to, opportunity youth,
    appointed by the Governor.
        (11) A member from a statewide organization that
    represents multiple employee unions in this State,
    appointed by the Governor.
        (12) A member from a trade union, appointed by the
    Governor.
        (13) A member from a statewide organization that
    represents the business community, appointed by the
    Governor.
        (14) A member from a statewide organization that
    represents service employees in this State, appointed by
    the Governor.
        (15) Educators representing various regions of this
    State from professional teachers' organizations, appointed
    by the Governor.
        (16) A member from a statewide organization that
    represents hospitals in this State, appointed by the
    Governor.
        (17) A president of a community college, appointed by
    the Governor.
        (18) A district superintendent of a high school
    district, appointed by Governor.
    The members of the advisory board shall serve without
compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and
necessary expenses from funds appropriated to the State Board
for that purpose, including travel, subject to the rules of the
appropriate travel control board.
    The advisory board shall meet at the call of the State
Board and shall report to the State Board. The State Board
shall provide administrative and other support to the advisory
board.
    (c) The advisory board established under subsection (b)
shall have all of the following duties:
        (1) To review the progress made by each grant
    recipient, including, but not limited to, the
    gainful-employment success rate, how many students remain
    employed for how long, and how many students went on to
    receive higher manufacturing certificates.
        (2) To review how many students went on to complete a
    paid internship or apprenticeship upon graduation.
        (3) To compile a list of programs offered by each
    community college or high school.
        (4) To analyze whether the certificates are closing the
    gap in education for the current needs of the labor force,
    and to offer suggestions on how to close the gap if one
    still exists.
        (5) To suggest certificates that could help future
    employers looking to locate in this State.
        (6) To offer guidelines for the types of certificates
    that a community college or high school should pursue.
        (7) To offer possible rules to the State Board that the
    grant process should follow.
    (d) The State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the
purposes of this Section.