Adopted

AMENDMENT NO 3 PROPOSED TO

Senate Bill No. 2518

BY: Representatives Scoggin, Bell (21st)

AMEND after line 65 by inserting in lieu thereof the following:

     "SECTION 5.  Sections 5 through 9 of this act shall be known and cited as the "Mississippi Connecting Career and Technical Education Employability (MissCATEE) Program," for which implementation of shall be subject to legislative appropriation.

SECTION 6.  (1)  The Legislature finds that establishing attainable workforce goals reflect Mississippi's commitment to creating a pipeline of skilled workers to address workforce shortages and build a sustainable economic future begins with investing in career and technical education (CTE) programs that meet the needs of employers and communities.  Mississippi's workforce development goals center around equipping its citizens with the skills necessary to meet the demands of high-growth, high-demand industries.  These goals, include the following:

          (a) Expanded career and technical education (CTE) opportunities, which:

              (i)  Increase access to CTE programs at community colleges to prepare students for technical and skilled trade careers;

              (ii)  Focus on industry-recognized certifications and associate degrees aligned with state workforce needs; and

              (iii)  Promote dual-enrollment opportunities for high school students to participate in CTE pathways;

          (b)  Align education and training with emphasis on

Mississippi's workforce development sector strategies or priority occupations, as identified by Accelerate MS, targeting industries with workforce shortages.  High-priority sectors include:

              (i)  Advanced manufacturing:  addressing the growing need for skilled machinists, engineers and technicians;

              (ii)  Healthcare:  expanding the pipeline for nurses, allied health professionals and paramedics;

              (iii)  Information technology: preparing workers for roles in cybersecurity, software development and IT support;

              (iv)  Transportation and logistics: training workers for commercial driving, warehousing and supply chain management; and

              (v)  Energy and construction: focusing on renewable energy technologies, traditional utilities and skilled trades like electricians and plumbers;

          (c)  Address workforce shortages in rural areas to:

              (i)  Prioritize investments in CTE programs to serve underserved rural communities where skilled labor gaps are most acute; and

              (ii)  Develop programs to retain graduates within the state, with special incentives for those who commit to working in rural areas;

          (d)  Promote lifelong learning and upskilling that:

              (i)  Encourage adults aged eighteen (18) and older to re-enter the workforce or enhance their skills through CTE programs; and

              (ii)  Provide pathways for individuals without postsecondary education to earn certifications or degrees, fostering upward economic mobility;

          (e)  Support economic resilience through public-private partnerships by:

              (i)  Collaborating with industries to identify workforce needs and design CTE curricula that address specific skill gaps; and

              (ii)  Incentivizing employers to participate in apprenticeship programs, internships and on-the-job training for students;

          (f)  Increase access to funding and support services that:

              (i)  Offer financial aid programs, like tuition-free grants or scholarships, to eliminate barriers to CTE participation; and

              (ii)  Provide wraparound support services such as childcare, transportation and academic counseling to ensure student success; and

          (g)  Focus on data-driven workforce solutions that:

              (i)  Use labor market data to identify emerging industries and predict workforce needs; and

               (ii)  Regularly update sector strategies or priority occupations, as identified by Accelerate MS, and CTE offerings to reflect changes in Mississippi's economic landscape.

     (2)  Therefore, the intent of the Legislature, subject to appropriation for the purposes provided herein is:

          (a)  To provide funding to the Office of Workforce Development to establish a scholarship program for the purposes outlined herein.

          (b)  To provide tuition-free access for recent high school graduates to community colleges with accredited CTE programs that are aligned with Mississippi's workforce sector strategies or priority occupations, as identified by Accelerate MS, which result in a degree credential or industry certification in an identified industry sector, ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers to meet the state's economic demands.

          (c)  To gauge the effectiveness of this program by gathering data related to the participation and employment outcomes in order to replicate successful efforts in future

workforce development programs.

SECTION 7.  (1)  There is established the Mississippi Connecting Career and Technical Education Employability (MissCATEE) Program, which shall be directed by the Office of Workforce Development (Accelerate MS) for the purpose of providing tuition-free community college attendance for eligible recipients for career and technical education (CTE) and training for associate degree credential or industry certification in high-wage, high-demand industries with documented workforce shortages prioritized by the office.  The implementation of this program shall be subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Legislature.

     (2)  As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings as defined herein unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

          (a)  "Accelerate MS" or "office" means the Office of Workforce Development.

          (b)  "Eligible institution" means any community college,  local workforce development area or other eligible recipient of funding under this section.

          (c)  "Eligible program" means a career and technical (CTE) program administered at an eligible institution and approved by the Office of Workforce Development (Accelerate MS), which is aligned with identified workforce sector strategies or priority occupations, and identified on the state's Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL).

          (d)  "Eligible recipient" means a person who:

              (i)  Has been a resident of Mississippi for at least one (1) year prior to enrollment in an eligible program at an eligible institution and continues to physically reside herein;

              (ii)  Is a United States citizen, lawful permanent resident, or noncitizen eligible under Title IV regulations for student aid eligibility;

              (iii)  Has a high school diploma, GED or equivalent;

              (iv)  Is enrolled full-time in an eligible CTE program at a Mississippi community college within twelve (12) months of completion of a secondary education program or dually-enrolled in an eligible CTE program through his or her high school in accordance with Section 37-15-38;

              (v)  Has completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);

              (vi)  Maintains satisfactory academic progress as defined by the administering institution upon enrollment;

              (vii)  Has not previously earned an associate or bachelor's degree.  A student currently or previously enrolled in a community or junior college may be eligible if he or she changes his or her major to an identified high-demand industry sector or occupation, provided he or she has not exhausted state financial aid limitations; and

              (viii)  Agrees to remain in the State of Mississippi and work in the industry sector in which the degree credential or industry certification was earned for such a period of time as prescribed by policies promulgated by the Office of Workforce Development for each identified sector strategy or priority occupation.

          (e)  "High-wage, high-demand industry" means those industries paying above Mississippi's median annual income and prioritized by the office across the eight (8) workforce ecosystems.

          (f)  "Sector strategy" means the workforce

needs of an industry within a regional labor market that has been collaboratively identified by a partnership of employers within a critical industry that brings together education, economic development, workforce systems and community organizations to collaboratively provide job-readiness training (including professional skills development), occupational skills training and support services.

     (3)  The Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid shall serve as fiscal agent in administering the funds, and shall disburse appropriate funds to eligible institutions on a semester basis upon receipt of verification of eligible recipients' enrollment in an eligible program.

     (4)  Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, allocations to eligible recipients shall be awarded to the eligible institution of enrollment by the Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid through an application process.

     (5)  The Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid shall:

          (a)  Inform each recipient of the amount his or her portion of the program funds available for use, dependent on enrollment as a full-time or part-time student; and

          (b)  Develop regulations and procedures to govern the administration of the program.

     (6)  The Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid may use a minimal amount of funds allocated for this section for the administration of the program, to be approved by the State Workforce Investment Board Executive Committee.

SECTION 8.  (1)  The district office of each Local Workforce Development Area shall enter into a contract agreement with each eligible recipient of funds under the program employing existing processes for certifying participants.

     (2)  The Office of Workforce Development shall establish the priorities and provide such directives along with the necessary funds to the Local Workforce Development Areas, which shall administer the distribution of these funds.  Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the office shall allocate no less than three percent (3%) and no more than five percent (5%) to the Local Workforce Development Areas for the administration of these provisions.

     (3)  Accelerate MS shall annually provide a list of eligible programs based on priority sectors and occupations and program recipients to the Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid.  The Mississippi Office of State Financial Aid shall collaborate with Accelerate MS to track fund recipients under the program through the requisite time prescribed by the Office of Workforce Development for each identified sector strategy and priority occupation.

SECTION 9.  (1)  The Office of Workforce Development shall submit an annual report on the program to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chair of the House Workforce Development Committee, the Chair of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee and the Chairperson of the House and Senate Universities and Colleges Committees.  The report shall contain a detailed explanation of how the funds appropriated for the program were awarded and how many students have participated in the grant program and their employment outcomes.  The report shall also include a list of high-priority industry sectors, with corresponding Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes and occupations eligible for funding under the program, as determined annually by the Office of Workforce Development.

     (2)  Any high-priority industry sector or occupation identified in the report with the corresponding CIP code must remain eligible for at least four (4) academic years before being removed from the list to ensure students have adequate time to complete their credential or degree.

AMEND further the title after the semicolon on line 12 by inserting the following:

     "TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION EMPLOYABILITY (MISSCATEE) PROGRAM, WHICH SHALL BE DIRECTED BY THE OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING TUITION-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATTENDANCE FOR ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) AND TRAINING LEADING TO ASSOCIATE DEGREE CREDENTIALS OR INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS IN HIGH-WAGE, HIGH-DEMAND INDUSTRIES WITH DOCUMENTED WORKFORCE SHORTAGES PRIORITIZED BY THE OFFICE; TO PROVIDE FOR DEFINITIONS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI OFFICE OF STATE FINANCIAL AID SHALL SERVE AS FISCAL AGENT IN ADMINISTERING THE FUNDS; TO PRESCRIBE THE REQUIREMENTS TO ESTABLISH ELIGIBILITY AND TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECEIPT OF PROGRAM FUNDS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE RECIPIENT OF A GRANT SHALL COMMIT TO SERVING IN THE INDUSTRY SECTOR FOR WHICH HIS DEGREE CREDENTIAL OR INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION WAS GRANTED FOR SUCH A PERIOD OF TIME IN THE STATE AS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT; TO PROVIDE THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS;"