AB 398

This bill allows a technical college district board to obtain grants from the

Technical College System Board for the purpose of partnering with a business,

consortium of businesses, economic development organization, or local workforce

development board in a project to help meet local needs for supporting economic

sectors with a documented skills gap or high workforce shortage, including

manufacturing, energy, information technology, skilled trades, and health care. A

project may provide for activities that address development of individuals prior to

entering the workforce and workforce training, including any of the following: 1) jobs

training scholarships based on local labor market needs; 2) building or

infrastructure construction; 3) equipment and material purchases; 4) faculty hiring;

5) development of certain curricula; or 6) student career support services, including

job placement and business recruitment. The bill directs the Technical College

System Board to award grants to technical college districts that apply to the board

to fund the costs of such projects. In awarding the grants, the bill requires the

Technical College System Board to consider the speed by which the activities

specified in applications could meet training and employment needs and give a

preference to projects that seek to eliminate waiting lists for courses pertaining to

jobs with high employment demand.