Connecticut General Statutes 4-124mm – Connecticut Career Accelerator Program Account. Program to support commercial driver’s license training. Reports
(a) There is established an account known as the Connecticut Career Accelerator Program Account that is within the Office of Workforce Strategy for the purpose of supporting commercial driver’s license training within the CareerConneCT workforce training program. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited therein and such moneys shall be held in such account. The account may accept gifts, grants or donations from public or private sources. Any balance remaining in the account at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in the account for the fiscal year next succeeding. The account may be used for the purposes of the program described in subsection (b) of this section.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 4-124mm
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- succeeding: when used by way of reference to any section or sections, mean the section or sections next preceding, next following or next succeeding, unless some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
(b) Not later than January 1, 2023, the Office of Workforce Strategy shall design a program to support individuals pursuing training to obtain a commercial driver’s license, including through the use of income share agreements or equivalent financial instruments. The Office of Workforce Strategy may competitively procure a consultant to support the design and implementation of the program. The program shall be implemented not later than July 1, 2023.
(c) The design of the program under subsection (b) of this section shall take into consideration: (1) Developing metrics for identifying qualified training providers, (2) developing incentive-based payments for training providers, such as paying a trainer eighty per cent of a student’s tuition prior to providing any training and paying the trainer the remaining tuition upon placement of the student in a job, and (3) developing a method for targeting potential students for the program. The program shall include terms and conditions for the payment obligations undertaken by individuals who obtain tuition assistance from the account. The program shall require an individual who receives a direct tuition payment from the account to repay such payment if such individual is placed in a job after receiving training through the program that provides the individual with a higher income than such individual received prior to participating in such training. No interest shall be charged on any tuition repayment obligation. The program shall also consider offering wrap-around supports, such as stipends, child care services, counseling and other supports identified by the Office of Workforce Strategy. An individual who receives such supports shall not be required to repay the account for such supports.
(d) The Office of Workforce Strategy shall develop a marketing plan to attract individuals who fit the eligibility criteria for participation in the program, specifically targeted at recruiting individuals who are underserved, disadvantaged, unemployed, underemployed, dislocated workers, receiving temporary assistance for needy families, supplemental nutrition assistance program or any other public assistance benefits, formerly incarcerated or veterans of the armed services. The marketing plan shall include outreach to various state agencies, the regional workforce investment boards, transit authorities, housing authorities, the Office of Early Childhood and other partners as identified by the Office of Workforce Strategy.
(e) Not later than April 1, 2023, the Office of Workforce Strategy shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-4a, on the design and implementation of the program established pursuant to subsections (a) to (c), inclusive, of this section to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, commerce, education, finance, revenue and bonding, higher education and employment advancement and labor and public employees.
(f) Not later than July 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Office of Workforce Strategy shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-4a, on the program established pursuant to subsections (a) to (c), inclusive, of this section to the Governor and to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, commerce, education, finance, revenue and bonding, higher education and employment advancement and labor and public employees. Such report may include information on the (1) program completion and job placement rate of individuals participating in the program; (2) starting wages, wage gains and wage growth of individuals employed after participating in the program; (3) funds used as payment obligations, grants and wraparound services for individuals participating in the program; (4) percentage of program participants in compliance with repayment obligations; and (5) total repayments received.