(1) The Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall establish by rule a process for making grants or loans to public-private partnerships to provide advanced technology education and training opportunities. The purpose of the grants and loans is to support the development and implementation of public-private partnerships to provide advanced technology education and training opportunities in all business and industry sectors for individuals in communities throughout Oregon. The partnerships shall be between public and private entities and may include joint ventures among business and industry, school districts, education service districts, eligible post-secondary institutions as defined in ORS § 348.180 and public bodies as defined in ORS § 174.109.

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(2) A public-private partnership that receives a grant or loan under this section must provide advanced technology education and training opportunities that:

(a) Address current and future workforce development needs dictated by Oregon’s rapidly changing economy;

(b) Facilitate sustainable and dynamic economic development in communities by creating flexible opportunities for workforce development;

(c) Establish results oriented, collaborative investments of public and private resources in communities throughout Oregon;

(d) Ensure that Oregon’s capacity for economic growth and vitality is not limited by a lack of opportunities for workforce development; and

(e) Provide support to existing community efforts to establish innovative strategies for delivering advanced technology education and training.

(3) The process established by the commission for making grants and loans shall ensure that:

(a) Local communities are informed about the availability of the grants and loans;

(b) Advanced technology education and training projects are geographically distributed throughout Oregon;

(c) There is equal opportunity for urban and rural access to quality education and training opportunities;

(d) Representatives of related, ongoing community efforts assist in the implementation of advanced technology education and training projects; and

(e) Procedures and timelines are designed to minimize barriers to receiving funds.

(4) When considering applications for grants and loans, the Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development shall give priority to advanced technology education and training projects that:

(a) Provide or increase access for individuals to advanced technology education and training through the efforts of local and regional career centers and partnerships and distance education technology available locally and regionally;

(b) In combination with other projects receiving funds, contribute to advanced technology education and training opportunities in every part of the state;

(c) Use federal funds;

(d) Have widespread community support as evidenced by a memorandum of agreement or similar documentation;

(e) Represent an effective sharing of resources through public-private partnerships among business and industry, school districts, education service districts, eligible post-secondary institutions as defined in ORS § 348.180 and public bodies as defined in ORS § 174.109;

(f) Have a long-term strategic plan and lack only the necessary financial resources;

(g) Provide state-of-the-art technology that meets current standards of business and industry and addresses local and regional economic development priorities;

(h) Help individuals connect education and training with career planning and job opportunities through local and regional career centers as implemented under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;

(i) Provide articulated education programs that lead to a degree or an industry-specific skills certification; and

(j) Establish short-term training programs that meet the immediate needs of local employers in their communities.

(5)(a) A public-private partnership awarded a grant or loan under this section shall use the grant or loan for any of the following:

(A) Infrastructure construction or reconstruction.

(B) Equipment or technology purchases.

(C) Curriculum development.

(D) Expansion or revision of a current project to increase the capacity of the project, alter the project plan, change the members of the partnership or address education or employment deficiencies in the community served by the public-private partnership.

(b) A grant or loan awarded under this section for the purpose described in paragraph (a)(D) of this subsection may not exceed $25,000.

(6) The application for a grant or loan under this section shall include:

(a) The names of the members of the public-private partnership;

(b) A description of standards used to assess the performance of the project;

(c) An estimate of the number of individuals who will be served by the project;

(d) The name of the fiscal agent of the public-private partnership;

(e) A project plan covering at least the first two years after receipt of a grant or loan; and

(f) The name of the person who will be responsible for convening the public-private partnership on a regular basis.

(7) The commission may accept contributions of funds and assistance from the United States Government or its agencies or from any other source, public or private, and agree to conditions placed on the funds not inconsistent with the purposes of this section.

(8) Any moneys received by the commission through repayment of a loan awarded under this section, or received by the commission under subsection (7) of this section, shall be deposited by the commission in the Advanced Technology Education and Training Fund established under ORS § 350.165. [Formerly 351.766; 2017 c.185 § 8; 2017 c.297 § 31]