(a) Not later than January 1, 2022, and as necessary thereafter, the board of the Technical Education and Career System, in consultation with the Chief Workforce Officer, the Labor Commissioner, the Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Education and Social Services, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and one member of industry representing each of the economic clusters identified by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development pursuant to § 32-1m shall (1) review, evaluate and, as necessary, recommend improvements for certification and degree programs offered by the Technical Education and Career System and the community-technical college system to ensure that such programs meet the employment needs of business and industry, (2) develop strategies to strengthen the linkage between skill standards for education and training and the employment needs of business and industry, (3) assess the unmet demand from employers in the state to hire graduates of trade programs from technical education and career schools and the unmet demand from students in the state to enroll in a trade program at a technical education and career school, and (4) assess opportunities to increase utilization of technical education and career schools during after school hours and on weekends.

(b) Not later than January 1, 2002, and annually thereafter, the superintendent of the Technical Education and Career System shall report, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, commerce, labor and higher education and employment advancement on any certification or degree programs offered by technical education and career schools or community-technical colleges that do not meet current industry standards.