House Bill 1301

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-73-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO MODIFY THE DIRECTIVE OF THE OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FROM PILOTING A CAREER COACHING PROGRAM IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS, TO IMPLEMENTING SUCH PROGRAM FOR THE LONG TERM; TO AUTHORIZE THE OFFICE TO PROVIDE ALL CAREER COACHES ACCESS TO A SECURE END-TO-END PLATFORM THAT ENABLES THEM TO USE ADVANCE ANALYTICS FOR THE PURPOSE ASSISTING STUDENTS TO DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED CAREER PATHWAYS AND DIRECTLY CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH POST-SECONDARY AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT MATCH THEIR SKILLS AND INTERESTS; TO PROVIDE WHAT THE PLATFORM MAY INCLUDE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 37-73-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-73-3. (1) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the Office of Workforce Development shall * * *~~pilot~~ implement a career coaching program to support middle schools and high schools as students are exposed, prepared and connected to career avenues within and beyond the classroom setting. Through strong partnerships with economic and business leaders, paired with viable relationships with school districts, the career coaches shall target the alignment of students' strengths with intentional academic and work-based learning in pursuit of meaningful professional employment.

(2) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the Office of Workforce Development, working through the Department of Employment Security as fiscal agent, shall establish rules and regulations to operate the career coaching program, which may include granting funds to eligible recipients such as state agencies, regional workforce entities and other nonprofits, to hire coaches. The Office of Workforce Development shall establish criteria for coaches and shall work with partner organizations to identify candidates and measure outcomes.

(3) Subject to appropriation, the Office of Workforce Development may provide all career coaches access to a secure end-to-end platform that enables career coaches to use advance analytics for the purpose of assisting students to develop customized career pathways and directly connecting students with post-secondary and employment opportunities that match their skills and interests. The platform used may include a mentorship program connecting students with industry professionals, direct access to a wide range of professional jobs and internships, a college and scholarship search tool and the ability for each student to create a comprehensive student profile that can be viewed by potential employers and college admission officers.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.