SENATE, No. 730

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to encourage state college training opportunities in order to promote workforce development, minimize the shortage of skilled workers and raise economic opportunity through a matching incentive grant program to be known as the state college higher education workforce training incentive program. Subject to appropriation, the board of higher education shall establish guidelines for the distribution of state college higher education workforce training incentive grants; provided, however, that said guidelines shall provide: (i) allowable incentive grant awards which shall not exceed $200 for every $1,000 in eligible revenues; (ii) minimum requirements for the level of not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction which shall be provided by incentive grant recipients in the fiscal year in which such grant is awarded; provided further that after grant incentives are awarded, an amount not to exceed $50,000 shall be allocated equally to campuses for the purposes of funding a workforce training coordinator; provided further that for the purposes of this section, eligible revenues shall be defined as revenues received by a state college for one of the following purposes: tuition and fees paid by students enrolled in not-for-credit vocationally-oriented courses; tuition and fees paid by Massachusetts employers on behalf of employees enrolled in not-for-credit vocationally-oriented courses; and revenues from service contracts with Massachusetts employers to provide not for-credit vocationally-oriented training; provided further that revenues from contracts with public agencies, public grants or private gifts shall not be considered eligible revenues for the purposes of this section. Incentive grants shall be expended for the following purposes: to expand not-for-credit vocationally oriented course offerings; to expand not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction provided through contracts with Massachusetts employers; and to otherwise promote not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction; and provided further that the total aggregate amount of incentive grants awarded by the board shall not exceed $2,500,000 in any fiscal year.

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to encourage public university training opportunities in order to promote workforce development, minimize the shortage of skilled workers and raise economic opportunity through a matching incentive grant program to be known as the public university higher education workforce training incentive program. Subject to appropriation, the board of trustees of the university of Massachusetts shall establish guidelines for the distribution of public university higher education workforce training incentive grants; provided, however, that said guidelines shall provide: (i) allowable incentive grant awards which shall not exceed $200 for every $1,000 in eligible revenues; (ii) minimum requirements for the level of not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction which shall be provided by incentive grant recipients in the fiscal year in which such grant is awarded; provided further that each public university which is eligible for grant awards in a fiscal year shall, subject to appropriation, receive not less than $50,000 from the total amount appropriated for the incentive program to fund the salary of a workforce training coordinator at each such campus; provided further that for the purposes of this section, eligible revenues shall be defined as revenues received by a public university for one of the following purposes: tuition and fees paid by students enrolled in not-for-credit vocationally-oriented courses; tuition and fees paid by Massachusetts employers on behalf of employees enrolled in not-for-credit vocationally-oriented courses; and revenues from service contracts with Massachusetts employers to provide not for-credit vocationally-oriented training; provided further that revenues from contracts with public agencies, public grants or private gifts shall not be considered eligible revenues for the purposes of this section. Incentive grants shall be expended for the following purposes: to expand not-for-credit vocationally oriented course offerings; to expand not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction provided through contracts with Massachusetts employers; and to otherwise promote not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction; and provided further that the total aggregate amount of incentive grants awarded by the office of the president shall not exceed $2,500,000 in any fiscal year.

 SECTION 3.  Each state college and public university campus shall report not later than December 31, annually, to the board of higher education or the board of trustees of the university of Massachusetts, and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the level of not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction provided in the preceding fiscal year and the anticipated level of such instruction in the current fiscal year. Said report shall detail enrollment levels, revenues received, sources of revenues, the number of service contracts established with Massachusetts employers and such other information as the board of higher education and the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts may require.

 SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect upon passage.