§ 540. Workforce education and training leader

The Commissioner of Labor shall be the leader of workforce education and training in the State, and shall have the authority and responsibility for the coordination of workforce education and training within State government, including the following duties:

(1) Perform the following duties in consultation with the State Workforce Development Board:

(A) advise the Governor on the establishment of an integrated system of workforce education and training for Vermont;

(B) create and maintain an inventory of all existing workforce education and training programs and activities in the State;

(C) use data to ensure that State workforce education and training activities are aligned with the needs of the available workforce, the current and future job opportunities in the State, and the specific credentials needed to achieve employment in those jobs;

(D) develop a State plan, as required by federal law, to ensure that workforce education and training programs and activities in the State serve Vermont citizens and businesses to the maximum extent possible;

(E) ensure coordination and nonduplication of workforce education and training activities;

(F) identify best practices and gaps in the delivery of workforce education and training programs;

(G) design and implement criteria and performance measures for workforce education and training activities;

(H) establish goals for the integrated workforce education and training system; and

(I) with the assistance of the Secretaries of Commerce and Community Development, of Human Services, of Education, of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and of Transportation and of the Commissioner of Public Safety, develop and implement a coordinated system to recruit, relocate, and train workers to ensure the labor force needs of Vermont’s businesses are met.

(2) Require from each business, training provider, or program that receives State funding to conduct workforce education and training a report that evaluates the results of the training. Each recipient shall submit its report on a schedule determined by the Commissioner and shall include at least the following information:

(A) name of the person who receives funding;

(B) amount of funding;

(C) activities and training provided;

(D) number of trainees and their general description;

(E) employment status of trainees; and

(F) future needs for resources.

(3) Review reports submitted by each recipient of workforce education and training funding.

(4) Issue an annual report to the Governor, the House Committees on Appropriations and on Commerce and Economic Development, and the Senate Committees on Appropriations and on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs on or before December 1 that includes a systematic evaluation of the accomplishments of the State workforce investment system and the performance of participating agencies and institutions. The provisions of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d) (expiration of required reports) shall not apply to the report to be made under this subdivision.

(5) Coordinate public and private workforce programs to ensure that information is easily accessible to students, employees, and employers, and that all information and necessary counseling is available through one contact.

(6) Facilitate effective communication between the business community and public and private educational institutions.

(7) Notwithstanding any provision of State law to the contrary, and to the fullest extent allowed under federal law, ensure that in each State and State-funded workforce education and training program, the program administrator collects and reports data and results at the individual level by Social Security number or an equivalent.

(8) Coordinate intentional outreach and connections between students graduating from Vermont’s colleges and universities and employment opportunities in Vermont. (Added 2013, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 41; amended 2015, No. 11, § 9; 2015, No. 157 (Adj. Sess.), § K.1; 2017, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 19, eff. May 21, 2018; 2017, No. 189 (Adj. Sess.), § 15.)