SB 163

This bill allows a technical college district board (district board) to obtain grants

from the Technical College System (TCS) Board for the purpose of partnering with

a business, consortium of businesses, economic development organization, or local

workforce investment 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) job

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 TCS Board to award

grants to district boards that apply to the TCS Board to fund the costs of such

projects. In awarding the grants, the bill requires the TCS 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.

The bill also creates three other types of grants awarded by the TCS Board.

Under the bill, the TCS Board must award all of the following grants:

1. Dual enrollment opportunity grants to district boards to expand dual

enrollment programs (which provide high school students with the opportunity to

simultaneously gain high school and technical college credits) or create new dual

enrollment programs, but these grants are awarded only until June 30, 2017.

2. Innovation grants to technical college faculty, staff, and students to assist

them in commercializing and bringing to market innovative technology, products,

and processes developed at technical colleges.

3. Veterans success grants to district boards to expand existing efforts and

implement additional strategies to assist veterans in a successful transition to

college and careers, but these grants are awarded only until June 30, 2019.