Amendment #477 to H4879

Creating Opportunity through the Workforce Investment Trust Fund

Ms. Keefe of Worcester moves to amend the bill in section 11, by striking subsection (b), in lines 878 to 892, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following:

"(b) For the purposes of this section, the term “target population” shall mean any person who meets not less than 2 of the following characteristics: (i) is under 25 years of age; (ii) is a victim of violence; (iii) is over 18 years of age and does not have a high school diploma; (iv) has been convicted of a felony; (v) has been unemployed or has had family income below 250 per cent of the federal poverty level for not less than 6 months; or (vi) lives in a census tract where over 20 per cent of the population fall below the federal poverty line.

(b)(1) The fund shall be administered by a board of directors for the fund to consist of 13 members to be appointed by the secretary of housing and economic development, with the approval of the governor. The board of directors shall consist of not less than 6 individuals who are, or have been, members of the target population and a combination of appointees with professional case management experience, entrepreneurial or business management experience, professional youth development experience, experience providing professional or vocational training or experience in labor market analysis. The members shall elect a chair and shall meet not less than bi-annually. Members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed by the fund for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. Upon notification by the chair that a vacancy exists, the secretary of housing and economic development shall appoint, with the approval of the governor, another member to fill the unexpired term.

(b)(2) The executive office of housing and economic development shall provide staff support to the board of directors. The total expenditure from the fund for administration, including salaries and benefits of supporting staff, shall not exceed 5 per cent of the total amount disbursed by the fund in any given fiscal year.

(c) Money in the fund shall be competitively granted to develop and strengthen workforce opportunities for communities with a high percentage of individuals in the target population in subsection (b), including providing opportunities and strategies to promote stable employment and wage growth, or, in the case of programs serving a target population aged 20 years and under, demonstrate a model of building the skills necessary for future employment within such population. The board of directors shall establish criteria to evaluate applications for the grant program.

(d) Eligible grant recipients shall provide opportunities including, but shall not be limited to: (i) target at risk youth, including resources to empower youth to succeed in the workforce; (ii) provide job skills trainings, including programs offering trainings in multiple languages and areas for development, including education and hands on skills; (iii) promote adult literacy, including strategies to master reading and writing and providing digital formats to increase accessibility and English as a second language; and (iv) promote transitional employment programs, social enterprise, pre-apprenticeship or other training programs that result in job placement for those who face high barriers to employment.

(e) Not less than once every 5 years, the board shall review and, if appropriate, recommend to the legislature changes to the eligibility criteria of the fund, including the services provided by grant applicants.

(f) Annually, not later than October 1, the board shall provide a report of the grants given and a breakdown of expenditures made by the fund. The report shall be posted on the website of the executive office of housing and economic development."

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #477 to H4879

Creating Opportunity through the Workforce Investment Trust Fund