BILL NUMBER: SB 640INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Hancock FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to amend Section 52302.2 of the Education Code, relating to career technical education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 640, as introduced, Hancock. Regional occupational centers and programs: employer advisory boards. Existing law authorizes the county superintendent of schools of each county, with the consent of the State Board of Education, to establish and maintain, or with one or more counties to establish and maintain, a regional occupational center, or regional occupational program, in the county to provide education and training in career technical courses. Existing law also authorizes the governing board of any school district maintaining high schools in a county, with the consent of the state board and of the county superintendent of schools, to cooperate in the establishment and maintenance of a regional occupational center or program, except as specified. Existing law requires the governing board of each regional occupational center or program to establish and maintain an employer advisory board or boards pursuant to guidelines developed by the State Department of Education. Existing law requires an employer advisory board to perform various duties, including, among others, approving measures, criteria, and methods to evaluate whether pupils acquired the skills and knowledge identified in their skill certificates and assisting a regional occupational center or program in creating college scholarships for pupils participating in occupational course sequences. This bill instead would require an employer advisory board to recommend measures, criteria, and methods to evaluate pupils' skills and knowledge. In addition to creating college scholarships, the bill would require an employer advisory board to assist a regional occupational center or program in identifying scholarships. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 52302.2 of the Education Code is amended to read: 52302.2. (a) The governing board of each regional occupational center or program shall establish and maintain an employer advisory board or boards pursuant to guidelines developed by the department. The advisory board shall do all of the following: (1) Assist in the development of skill certificates that identify the skills and knowledge that pupils completing an occupational course sequence are expected to acquire upon completing the sequence. The advisory board also shallapproverecommend the measures and criteria, and methods to evaluate whether pupils actually acquired the identified skills and knowledge. (2) Review at least once a year whether pupils who are assessed as having met the requirements for a skill certificate possess the skills needed for success in employment in that occupation. (3) Review the specific occupational sequences offered by the regional occupational center or program to train pupils for jobs that are in demand and offer high beginning salaries or the potential for significant wage increase after several years on the job. (4) Assist the regional occupational center or program in developing internships, paid summer employment, and postgraduation employment opportunities for pupils participating in the course sequences. (5) Assist the regional occupational center or program in identifying and creating college scholarships for pupils participating in the course sequences. (b) Employer advisory boards shall be composed of representatives of trade organizations and businesses or government agencies that hire a significant number of employees each year and require the skills and knowledge that are taught in the course sequence or sequences in that occupational area, as well as at least one representative from a school district career technical educational advisory committee. The department shall develop regulations guiding the establishment of these boards. (c) Regional occupational centers or programs operated in a rural county of the sixth, seventh, or eighth class may designate a local business or industry organization as the advisory board and consult with the leadership of the local business or industry organization to determine skill needs in the region and emerging job market needs. For purposes of this section, the local business organization may be designated as the advisory board for the regional occupational center or program.