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1S.48
2 Introduced by Senator Clarkson
3 Referred to Committee on
4 Date:
5 Subject: Conservation and development; workforce leadership
6 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to reorganize the
7 leadership of workforce education and employment and training activities in
8 Vermont.
9    An act relating to workforce leadership in Vermont
10 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
11 Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 540 is amended to read:
12 § 540. WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT AND
13TRAINING LEADER LEADERS
14    (a) The Commissioner of Labor and the Executive Director of the Office of
15 Workforce Strategy and Development shall be the leader leaders of workforce
16 education and employment and training in the State, and shall have the
17 authority and responsibility for the coordination of workforce education and
18 training within State government, including the following duties: the State’s
19 workforce system as provided in this section.
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1    (b) The powers and duties provided in this section shall not limit, restrict,
2 or suspend any similar powers the Commissioner of Labor or the Executive
3 Director of the Office of Workforce Strategy and Development may have
4 under other provisions of law.
5    (c) For purposes of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
6 (WIOA), the Department of Labor shall be designated as the State Workforce
7 Agency and the Commissioner of Labor shall serve as the State Workforce
8 Administrator.
9    (d) As coleader of workforce education and employment and training in the
10 State, the Commissioner of Labor, in consultation with the Executive Director
11 of the Office of Workforce Strategy and Development where appropriate,
12 shall:
13(1) Perform the following duties in consultation with the State
14 Workforce Development Board: ensure the coordination and administration of
15 workforce education and employment and training programs operated by the
16 Department of Labor;
17(A) advise the Governor on the establishment of an integrated system
18 of workforce education and training for Vermont;
19(B) create and maintain an inventory of all existing workforce
20 education and training programs and activities in the State;
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1(C) use data to ensure that State workforce education and training
2 activities are aligned with the needs of the available workforce, the current and
3 future job opportunities in the State, and the specific credentials needed to
4 achieve employment in those jobs;
5(D) develop a State plan, as required by federal law, to ensure that
6 workforce education and training programs and activities in the State serve
7 Vermont citizens and businesses to the maximum extent possible;
8(E) ensure coordination and nonduplication of workforce education
9 and training activities;
10(F) identify best practices and gaps in the delivery of workforce
11 education and training programs;
12(G) design and implement criteria and performance measures for
13 workforce education and training activities;
14(H) establish goals for the integrated workforce education and training
15 system; and
16(I) with the assistance of the Secretaries of Commerce and
17 Community Development, of Human Services, of Education, of Agriculture,
18 Food and Markets, and of Transportation and of the Commissioner of Public
19 Safety, develop and implement a coordinated system to recruit, relocate, and
20 train workers to ensure the labor force needs of Vermont’s businesses are met.
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1(2) Require from each business, training provider, or program that
2 receives State funding to conduct workforce education and training a report
3 that evaluates the results of the training. Each recipient shall submit its report
4 on a schedule determined by the Commissioner and shall include at least the
5 following information: enter into agreements, to the extent necessary, with
6 other State agencies and departments for services to improve the employment
7 and economic outcomes for individuals receiving public assistance, including
8 agreements to provide customized or specialized services that are beyond the
9 basic services required by federal law;
10(A) name of the person who receives funding;
11(B) amount of funding;
12(C) activities and training provided;
13(D) number of trainees and their general description;
14(E) employment status of trainees; and
15(F) future needs for resources.
16(3) Review reports submitted by each recipient of workforce education
17 and training funding. develop strategies and provide support to entities
18 responsible for federal investments in the State’s workforce system;
19(4)(A) Issue an annual report to the Governor, the House Committees on
20 Appropriations and on Commerce and Economic Development, and the Senate
21 Committees on Appropriations and on Economic Development, Housing and
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1 General Affairs on or before December 1 that includes a systematic evaluation
2 of the accomplishments of the State workforce investment system and the
3 performance of participating agencies and institutions. The provisions of 2
4 V.S.A. § 20(d) (expiration of required reports) shall not apply to the report to
5 be made under this subdivision. develop strategies designed to reduce
6 employee layoffs and business closures; and
7(B) provide reemployment services to employees affected by layoffs
8 and closures;
9(5) Coordinate public and private workforce programs to ensure that
10 information is easily accessible to students, employees, and employers, and
11 that all information and necessary counseling is available through one contact.
12 administer a system where employment and training resources are provided to
13 individuals and businesses through both physical and virtual service delivery
14 methods;
15(6) Facilitate effective communication between the business community
16 and public and private educational institutions. establish job centers in such
17 parts of the State as the Commissioner deems necessary and evaluate such
18 centers on an as-needed basis;
19(7) maintain a free and secure electronic job board that, to the extent
20 practicable, compiles all available job, registered apprenticeship, education and
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1 training, and credentialing opportunities that support job seekers and career
2 advancers;
3(7)(8) Notwithstanding any provision of State law to the contrary, and to
4 the fullest extent allowed under federal law, ensure that in each State and
5 State-funded workforce education and training program, the program
6 administrator collects and reports data and results at the individual level by
7 Social Security number or an equivalent. use data to ensure that State
8 workforce education and employment and training activities are aligned with
9 the needs of the:
10(A) available workforce;
11(B) employers to fill their current and future job openings; and
12(C) specific credentials required by employers;
13(8)(9) Coordinate intentional outreach and connections between students
14 graduating from Vermont’s colleges and universities and employment
15 opportunities in Vermont. require that each business, training provider, or other
16 entity receiving State funding to conduct workforce training submit a report
17 that evaluates the results of the training; and
18(10) notwithstanding any provision of State law to the contrary, and to
19 the fullest extent allowed under federal law, ensure that the program
20 administrator in each State and State-funded workforce education and
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1 employment and training program collects and reports data and results at the
2 individual level by Social Security number or equivalent.
3    (e) As coleader of workforce education and employment and training in the
4 State, the Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Strategy and
5 Development, in consultation with the Commissioner of Labor and the State
6 Workforce Development Board where appropriate, shall:
7(1) advise the Governor and members of the Governor’s cabinet on the
8 establishment and management of an integrated system of workforce education
9 and training in Vermont;
10(2) coordinate across public and private sectors to identify and address
11 labor force needs and ensure that workforce development program information
12 is easily accessible to students, employees, and businesses;
13(3) develop a comprehensive workforce strategy that contains
14 measurable statewide workforce goals along with a biennial operational plan to
15 achieve those goals that shall:
16(A) be developed in collaboration with, and representative of,
17 workforce system partners, including public, private, nonprofit, and
18 educational sectors and the State Workforce Development Board;
19(B) include a set of metrics, designed in consultation with the Agency
20 of Administration’s Chief Performance Office, used to evaluate the
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1 effectiveness of, to the extent practicable, all workforce development
2 programs;
3(C) align with and build upon other required strategic planning
4 efforts, including the WIOA State Plan;
5(D) be informed by the inventory system as set forth in subdivision
6 (4) of this subsection (e); and
7(E) be reviewed and updated as necessary, but at least once every two
8 years;
9(4) create, maintain, and update a publicly accessible inventory of all
10 known workforce education and employment and training programs and
11 activities in the State in order to:
12(A) annually assess the investments and effectiveness of the
13 workforce development system;
14(B) ensure coordination and nonduplication of workforce education
15 and employment and training activities; and
16(C) identify best practices and gaps in the delivery of workforce
17 education and employment and training programs;
18(5) identify and manage priority projects specific to regional workforce
19 needs;
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1(6) facilitate effective communication between the business community,
2 State and local government, and public and private educational institutions, for
3 the purpose of workforce pipeline development and job placement;
4(7) coordinate intentional outreach and connections between students
5 and employment opportunities in the State; and
6(8) ensure the State Workforce Development Board is carrying out its
7 duties and responsibilities as set forth in section 541a of this chapter.
8    (f)(1) The Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Strategy and
9 Development shall, once every two years, issue a comprehensive biennial
10 workforce report to the Governor, the House Committees on Appropriations
11 and on Commerce and Economic Development, and the Senate Committees on
12 Appropriations and on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs,
13 on or before December 1, that includes an evaluation of the accomplishments
14 of the State workforce investment system and the performance of participating
15 agencies and institutions covering the previous two calendar years. The report
16 shall include identification of system priorities, need for future funding
17 requests, identification of proposed legislative and administrative changes, and
18 any other information relevant to the performance and future needs of the
19 workforce investment system. The report shall summarize performance and
20 outcome information submitted by federally and State-funded workforce
21 development and investment programs for all public and nonpublic programs.
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1(2) To the extent practicable, workforce reports required of the
2 Department of Labor, including the apprenticeship report required by 21
3 V.S.A. § 1113(e)(2), shall be incorporated into the comprehensive report
4 required by subdivision (1) of this subsection.
5(3) The Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Strategy and
6 Development shall have the support and coordination of the Department of
7 Labor in developing and submitting the biennial report required by subdivision
8 (1) of this subsection.
9(4) The provisions of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d) (expiration of required reports)
10 shall not apply to the report to be made under subdivision (1) of this
11 subsection.
12 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
13    This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
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