Partnerships for the Future Act of 2016

Summary: Partnerships for the Future Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Labor to establish a competitive grant pilot program to award grants to eligible entities for developing, offering, improving, or providing science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) education or career training programs for workers. &quot;Eligible entity&quot; means one of the following in partnership with employers or an association of employers:  a junior or community college; a postsecondary vocational institution; a four-year public institution of higher education that offers two-year degrees, will use provided funds for activities at the certificate and associate degree levels, and is not reasonably close to a community college; a tribal college or university; at Labor's discretion, a private, not-for-profit, two-year institution of higher education in a specified U.S. territory or possession; or a consortium of any such entities.  An eligible entity may partner with an adult education provider or institution of higher education, an entity with a demonstrated record of successfully meeting student and family needs, or a joint labor-management partnership.  The bill sets forth criteria and priorities for awarding grants. Grants shall be used for:  the development, offering, improvement, or provision of STEM academic programs or training programs that provide relevant job training for skilled occupations that will meet the needs of employers in in-demand industry sectors; the development and implementation of policies and programs to expand opportunities for students to earn a recognized postsecondary STEM credential or degree in such sectors and in-demand occupations; the creation of workforce programs that provide a sequence of education and occupational training that leads to a recognized postsecondary STEM credential or degree; and/or the support of regional or national in-demand industry sectors to develop skills consortia that will identify pressing workforce needs and develop solutions. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Partnerships for the Future Act of 
2016''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS STEM PILOT GRANT 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Labor shall establish a 
competitive grant pilot program to award grants to eligible entities 
for the purpose of developing, offering, improving, or providing STEM 
education or career training programs for workers.
    (b) Eligible Entity.--
            (1) In general.--For purposes of this Act, an ``eligible 
        entity'' means one of the following in partnership with 
        employers or an association of employers:
                    (A) A junior or community college (as defined in 
                section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1085(f))).
                    (B) A postsecondary vocational institution (as 
                defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))).
                    (C) A 4-year public institution of higher education 
                (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that offers two-year degrees, 
                will use funds provided under this section for 
                activities at the certificate and associate degree 
                levels, and is not reasonably close, as determined by 
                the Secretary of Labor, to a community college.
                    (D) A tribal college or university (as defined in 
                section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1059c(b))).
                    (E) At the discretion of the Secretary of Labor, a 
                private, not-for-profit, 2-year institution of higher 
                education in Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States 
                Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
                Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall 
                Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the 
                Republic of Palau.
                    (F) A consortium of any of the entities described 
                in subparagraphs (A) through (E).
            (2) Additional partnerships.--An eligible entity described 
        in paragraph (1) may partner with any of the following:
                    (A) An adult education provider or institution of 
                higher education (as defined in section 101 of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
                    (B) A community-based organization, a nonprofit 
                organization, or other public or private entity with a 
                demonstrated record of successfully meeting student and 
                family needs.
                    (C) A joint labor-management partnership.
                    (D) Any other organization that the Secretary of 
                Labor considers appropriate.
            (3) Workforce development board.--Any such partnership 
        shall collaborate with, and may include, the State board or 
        local board.
    (c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit a grant proposal to the Secretary of Labor at such 
time and containing such information as the Secretary may require. The 
proposal shall include, at a minimum, a detailed description of--
            (1) the specific project for which the grant proposal is 
        submitted, including the manner in which the grant will be used 
        to develop, offer, improve, or provide a STEM education or 
        career training program;
            (2) the extent to which the project will meet the STEM 
        education or career training needs of workers in the area 
        served by the eligible entity;
            (3) the extent to which the project will meet the needs of 
        employers in the region for skilled workers in in-demand 
        industry sectors and in-demand occupations, including high 
        technology areas, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing;
            (4) the extent to which the project fits within any overall 
        strategic plan developed by an eligible entity; and
            (5) any previous experience of the eligible entity in 
        providing STEM education or career training programs, the 
        absence of which shall not automatically disqualify an eligible 
        institution from receiving a grant under this section.
    (d) Specifications of Grants.--
            (1) Duration.--A grant shall be awarded under this section 
        for a period of up to 36 months in duration.
            (2) Size of grant.--The amount of a grant awarded under 
        this subsection may not exceed $3,000,000 for an individual 
        entity and $20,000,000 for a consortium.
    (e) Criteria for Award.--
            (1) In general.--Grants under this section shall be awarded 
        based on--
                    (A) a determination of the merits of the grant 
                proposal submitted by the eligible entity to develop, 
                offer, improve, or provide STEM education or career 
                training programs to be made available to workers;
                    (B) an assessment of the likely employment 
                opportunities available in the region to individuals 
                who complete a STEM education or career training 
                program that the eligible entity proposes to develop, 
                offer, improve, or provide;
                    (C) an assessment of prior demand for STEM training 
                programs by individuals eligible for training served by 
                the eligible entity as well as availability and 
                capacity of existing STEM training programs to meet 
                future demand for STEM training programs; and
                    (D) any additional criteria established by the 
                Secretary of Labor.
            (2) Priority.--The Secretary of Labor shall give priority 
        to eligible entities that--
                    (A) include a partnership with a business or 
                industry or sector partnership that--
                            (i) pays a portion of the costs of such 
                        programs; or
                            (ii) agrees to hire individuals who have 
                        completed a particular postsecondary degree, 
                        certificate, or credential resulting from the 
                        training program of the eligible entity;
                    (B) enter into a partnership with a labor 
                organization or labor-management training program that 
                provides technical expertise for occupationally 
                specific education necessary for a recognized 
                postsecondary STEM credential leading to an occupation 
                in an in-demand industry sector;
                    (C) are focused on serving individuals with 
                barriers to employment, particularly individuals who 
                have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer;
                    (D) are community colleges serving areas with high 
                unemployment rates, including rural areas; and
                    (E) are eligible entities that include an 
                institution of higher education eligible for assistance 
                under title III or V of the Higher Education Act of 
                1965.
    (f) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used 
for one or more of the following:
            (1) The development, offering, improvement, or provision of 
        STEM academic programs or training programs that provide 
        relevant job training for skilled occupations that will meet 
        the needs of employers in in-demand industry sectors, which may 
        include registered apprenticeship programs, on-the-job training 
        programs, and programs that support employers in upgrading the 
        skills of their workforce.
            (2) The development and implementation of policies and 
        programs to expand opportunities for students to earn a 
        recognized postsecondary STEM credential or degree in in-demand 
        industry sectors and in-demand occupations, including by--
                    (A) facilitating the transfer of academic credits 
                between institutions of higher education, including the 
                transfer of academic credits for courses in the same 
                field of study;
                    (B) expanding articulation agreements and policies 
                that guarantee transfer between such institutions, 
                including through common course numbering and general 
                core curriculum; and
                    (C) developing or enhancing student support 
                services programs.
            (3) The creation of workforce programs that provide a 
        sequence of education and occupational training that leads to a 
        recognized postsecondary STEM credential or degree, including 
        programs that--
                    (A) blend basic skills and occupational training;
                    (B) facilitate means of transitioning from 
                noncredit occupational, basic skills, or developmental 
                coursework to for-credit coursework within and across 
                institutions;
                    (C) build or enhance linkages including the 
                development of dual enrollment programs and early 
                college high schools between secondary education or 
                adult education programs (including programs 
                established under the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
                Technical Education Act of 2006);
                    (D) implement other innovative programs designed to 
                increase the provision of training for students, 
                including students who are veteran members of the 
                National Guard or Reserves, to enter skilled 
                occupations in in-demand industry sectors; and
                    (E) support paid internships that will allow 
                students to simultaneously earn credit for work-based 
                learning and gain relevant employment experience in an 
                in-demand industry sector or in-demand occupation, 
                which shall include opportunities that transition 
                individuals into employment.
            (4) The support of regional or national in-demand industry 
        sectors to develop skills consortia that will identify pressing 
        workforce needs and develop solutions such as--
                    (A) standardizing industry certifications;
                    (B) developing new training technologies; and
                    (C) collaborating with industry employers to define 
                and describe how specific skills lead to particular 
                jobs and career opportunities.
    (g) Authorizations of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Labor $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2017 through 2019 to carry out this section.
    (h) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
            (1) The terms ``in-demand industry sector or occupation'', 
        ``local board'', and ``State board'' have the meanings given 
        the terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            (2) The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, education, 
        and mathematics.