SB637: Virginia High-Demand Occupation Forecast Advisory Committee;annual high-demand occupations forecast.

SENATE BILL NO. 637

Offered January 18, 2016
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-435.9 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Virginia High-Demand Occupation Forecast Advisory Committee; annual high-demand occupations forecast report.
Patron-- Ruff

Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 2.2-435.9 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.2-435.9. Annual report by publicly funded career and technical education and workforce development programs; performance on state-level metrics; Virginia High-Demand Occupation Forecast Advisory Committee; annual high-demand occupations forecast report.

A. Beginning November 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, each agency administering any publicly funded career and technical education and workforce development program shall submit to the Governor and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development a report detailing the program's performance against state-level metrics established by the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and the Chief Workforce Development Advisor.

B. There is hereby established the Virginia High-Demand Occupation Forecast Advisory Committee (the Committee). The purpose of the Committee shall be to compile and disseminate official information on the workforce needs of current, new, and emerging industries in the Commonwealth. Such information shall be developed using quantitative and qualitative research methods and shall include (i) short-term and long-term forecasts of employment demand for jobs by occupation and industry, (ii) credentials and competencies required by industry for specific occupations, (iii) entry and average wage forecasts among those occupations, and (iv) estimates of the supply of trained and qualified individuals available or potentially available for employment in those occupations, with special focus upon those occupations and industries that require high skills and have high entry wages and experienced wage levels.

The Committee shall be convened and led by the Governor's Chief Workforce Development Advisor and shall be composed of representatives appointed by the Governor from the following stakeholder agencies: the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Council on Virginia's Future, the Workforce Services Division of the Virginia Community College System, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, The Virginia Board of Education, and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The Committee shall also include at least three representatives from Virginia trade and industry associations and a labor market economist from an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth appointed by the Governor. Additional members to the Committee may be added by Governor at his discretion.  Members shall represent diverse geographical regions within the Commonwealth.  Members shall serve terms of five years and may be appointed to successive terms. The Committee shall meet at least twice annually or on call of the Chief Workforce Development Advisor.

C. The Virginia Employment Commission, in collaboration with the Committee, shall produce an annual high-demand occupations forecast report. The report shall delineate high-demand occupation information into three general categories: (i) occupations requiring specific workforce skills, training, or credentials; (ii) occupations requiring a bachelor's degree; and (iii) occupations requiring a degree more advanced than a bachelor's degree. The annual high-demand occupations forecast report containing demand projected ten years forward shall be submitted to the Governor, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, and the House and Senate Commerce and Labor Committees on or before January 1 of each year.

The annual high-demand occupations forecast report shall be used as a reference and guide by all state- and federally funded career and technical education and workforce development programs in selecting and prioritizing those education and training programs to be fiscally supported with federal or state career and technical education or workforce development funds.