Chapter 5. Centers And Regional Collaboratives of California Education Code >> Division 7. >> Title 3. >> Part 52.5. >> Chapter 5.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the programs and services provided through the program shall be flexible and responsive to the needs identified through the statewide and regional planning process. Services shall be demand driven, and delivery structures shall be agile, performance oriented, cost effective, and contribute to regional economic growth and competitiveness. The use of economic and workforce development program centers, local economic development corporations, industry-driven regional collaboratives, and business networks, employers, and service providers shall provide a stable and flexible response mechanism for the identification of training priorities and to focus resources on intensive projects for competitive and emerging industry sectors. These networks shall have the flexibility to meet the demand for new and emerging growth sectors and be formed, modified, eliminated, and reformed for short- or long-term responses customized to the duration of the need. Programs and projects developed and implemented at centers and industry-driven regional collaborative projects shall act as catalysts for future career technical education programs in the system.
  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that centers shall be established as the long-term structure of the network's service delivery system. Centers shall provide regional sites to efficiently respond to employer and worker needs, and shall deliver services for the strategic initiative areas pursuant to the mission of the community colleges economic and workforce development program.
  (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that industry-driven regional collaboratives perform services as participants of regional networks. Grants by industry-driven regional collaboratives shall provide flexibility for local projects to assess and define their individual project needs. New local programs and equipment shall be key components of these grants. Funding shall not be limited per project, but shall be based on the merit and reasonable cost for the anticipated outcomes and performance of the project. Funding for industry-driven regional collaboratives shall be limited to two consecutive fiscal years.

Economic and workforce development program centers and California Community Colleges participation in industry-driven regional collaboratives may provide any or all of the following services and perform the following functions as participants of networks, including, but not necessarily limited to, all of the following:
  (a) Convening skill panels to produce deliverables, such as curriculum models, that contribute to workforce skill development common to competitive and emerging industry sectors and industry clusters within a region.
  (b) Development of instructional packages focusing on the technical skill specific to emerging or changing occupations in targeted industry sectors and industry clusters.
  (c) Support student or worker evaluation of, and fit for, career paths by articulating how a curriculum model fits within a career pathway or career lattice or system of stackable credentials, relevant career readiness battery scores, and career guidance tools.
  (d) Faculty mentorships, faculty and staff development, in-service training, and worksite experience supporting the new curriculum and instructional modes responding to identified regional needs.
  (e) Institutional support, professional development, and transformational activities focused on removing systemic barriers to the development of new methods, transition to a flexible and more responsive administration of programs, and the timely and cost-effective delivery of services.
  (f) The deployment of new methodologies, modes, and technologies that enhance performance and outcomes and improve cost-effectiveness of service delivery or create new college programs.
  (g) One-on-one counseling, seminars, workshops, and conferences that contribute to the achievement of the success of existing businesses and foster the growth of new businesses and jobs in emerging industry clusters.
  (h) The delivery of performance-improvement training, which shall be provided on a matching basis to employers to benefit workforce participants. This will promote continuous workforce improvement in identified strategic priority areas, identified industry clusters, or areas targeted in the regional business resource assistance and innovation network plans.
  (i) Credit, not-for-credit, and noncredit programs and courses that contribute to workforce skill development for competitive and emerging industry sectors and industry clusters within a region or that focus on addressing a workforce skills gap or occupational shortage.
  (j) Subsidized student internships or work-based learning on a cash or in-kind matching basis for program participants in occupational categories identified in competitive and emerging industry sectors and industry clusters.
  (k) Acquisition of equipment to support the eligible activities and the limited renovation of facilities to accommodate the delivery of eligible services.
  (l) Submission of performance data for aggregation by the chancellor's office.