The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Purpose.
The purpose of the legislation is to create a high skills training program
designed to combat “spot” labor skill shortages in the Commonwealth. Over the
course of the current economic recovery the state economy has generated a
substantial number of new employment opportunities. Many of the newly created
jobs are in occupations that require technical skills that are in short supply
within the Commonwealth. Labor shortage problems in information technology,
biotechnology, computer software, metalworking occupations and construction
trades all constrain the level of output and income growth within the
Commonwealth. Job vacancy rates in some industry sectors in the state are
currently in the eight to ten percent range. Moreover, the low quit rates and
new hire rates in these industries combined with high job vacancy rates provide
powerful evidence of substantial shortages of qualified labor supply in a
number of specific occupational areas. This legislation authorizes the creation
of a new program within the Corporation for Business, Work and Learning that
would provide resources to support joint industry-education training programs
aimed at upgrading and retraining the unemployed and mal-employed population
within the state.
SECTION 2. Establishing a 50/50 Critical Skill Shortage Program.
This section will establish a new program within the Corporation for Business,
Work and Learning (CBWL) that will provide educational and training services designed
to respond to specific occupational labor shortages within key industry
segments of the Massachusetts economy. CBWL will identify areas of labor
shortage within the state and work to develop training programs of less than
one year duration to help solve labor shortage problems. This program will
provide grants up to $100,000 per year that must be matched by an equal
contribution from private sector partners. These grants will be used to provide
training in occupations in which CBWL determines a labor shortage or a similar
structural imbalance within a state or sub-state labor market segment. The
training provided under this statute must be conducted by an educational
institution within the Commonwealth. In no event shall funds under this
provision be used to support on-the-job or incumbent worker training.
SECTION
3. Building Business Education Partnerships.
CBWL may use the authorized funds to create business-education training
partnerships that can sustain training programs after state funding ceases.
CBWL may use up to fifteen percent of the funds authorized in creating such
partnerships and for the general administration of the program. All remaining
funds must be used in the direct provision of training services. The funds made
available are intended to serve as seed money in fostering the creation of
training programs that respond to labor shortage problems. In no event will a
program be funded for more than two program cycles. CBWL should place