II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3368 

To promote industry growth and competitiveness and to improve worker 

training, retention, and advancement, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 30, 2008 

Mr. BROWN (for himself and Ms. SNOWE) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To promote industry growth and competitiveness and to improve worker training, retention, and advancement, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Employ5 ment Clusters to Organize Regional Success Act of 2008’’ 

6 or the ‘‘SECTORS Act of 2008’’. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
2 

•S 3368 IS

1 SEC. 2. INDUSTRY OR SECTOR PARTNERSHIP GRANT. 

2 Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Investment Act 

3 of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2911 et seq.) is amended by inserting 

4 after section 174 the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 174A. INDUSTRY OR SECTOR PARTNERSHIP GRANT 

6 PROGRAM. 

7 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 

8 create designated capacity to promote industry or sector 

9 partnerships that lead collaborative planning, resource 

10 alignment, and training efforts across multiple firms for 

11 a range of workers employed or potentially employed by 

12 a targeted industry cluster, in order to encourage industry 

13 growth and competitiveness and to improve worker train14 ing, retention, and advancement in targeted industry clus15 ters, including by developing— 

16 ‘‘(1) immediate strategies for regions and com17 munities to fulfill pressing skilled workforce needs; 

18 ‘‘(2) long-term plans to grow targeted industry 

19 clusters with better training and a more productive 

20 workforce; 

21 ‘‘(3) core competencies and competitive advan22 tages for regions and communities undergoing struc23 tural economic redevelopment; and 

24 ‘‘(4) cross-firm skill standards, career ladders, 

25 job redefinitions, employer practices, and shared 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
3 

•S 3368 IS

1 training and support capacities that facilitate the 

2 advancement of workers at all skill levels. 

3 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 ‘‘(1) CAREER LADDER.—The term ‘career lad5 der’ means an identified series of positions, work ex6 periences, and educational benchmarks or credentials 

7 that offer occupational and financial advancement 

8 within a specified career field or related fields over 

9 time. 

10 ‘‘(2) ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY.—The term 

11 ‘economic self-sufficiency’ means, with respect to a 

12 worker, earning a wage sufficient to support a fam13 ily adequately, based on factors such as— 

14 ‘‘(A) family size; 

15 ‘‘(B) the number and ages of children in 

16 the family; 

17 ‘‘(C) the cost of living in the worker’s com18 munity; and 

19 ‘‘(D) other factors that may vary by re20 gion. 

21 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en22 tity’ means— 

23 ‘‘(A) an industry or sector partnership; or 

24 ‘‘(B) an eligible State agency. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
4 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE STATE AGENCY.—The term ‘eli2 gible State agency’ means a State agency designated 

3 by the Governor of the State for the purposes of the 

4 grant program under this section. 

5 ‘‘(5) HIGH-PRIORITY OCCUPATION.—The term 

6 ‘high-priority occupation’ means an occupation 

7 that— 

8 ‘‘(A) has a significant presence in an in9 dustry cluster; 

10 ‘‘(B) is in demand by employers; 

11 ‘‘(C) pays family-sustaining wages that en12 able workers to achieve economic self-suffi13 ciency, or can reasonably be expected to lead to 

14 such wages; 

15 ‘‘(D) has a documented career ladder; and 

16 ‘‘(E) has a significant impact on a region’s 

17 economic development strategy. 

18 ‘‘(6) HIGH ROAD EMPLOYER.—The term ‘high 

19 road employer’ means an employer interested in ad20 vancing workers through processes and investments 

21 in education, training, and research and develop22 ment. 

23 ‘‘(7) INDUSTRY CLUSTER.—The term ‘industry 

24 cluster’ means a concentration of interconnected 

25 businesses, suppliers, service providers, and associVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:07 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3368.IS S3368

jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
5 

•S 3368 IS

1 ated institutions in a particular field that are linked 

2 by common workforce needs. 

3 ‘‘(8) INDUSTRY OR SECTOR PARTNERSHIP.— 

4 The term ‘industry or sector partnership’ means a 

5 workforce collaborative that— 

6 ‘‘(A) organizes key stakeholders in a tar7 geted industry cluster into a working group 

8 that focuses on the human capital needs of a 

9 targeted industry cluster and that includes, at 

10 the appropriate stage of development of the 

11 partnership— 

12 ‘‘(i) representatives of multiple firms 

13 or employers, including workers, in a tar14 geted industry cluster, including small- and 

15 medium-sized employers when practicable; 

16 ‘‘(ii) 1 or more representatives of 

17 State labor organizations or central labor 

18 coalitions; 

19 ‘‘(iii) 1 or more representatives of 

20 local boards; 

21 ‘‘(iv) 1 or more representatives of 

22 postsecondary educational institutions or 

23 other training providers; and 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
6 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(v) 1 or more representatives of 

2 State workforce agencies or other entities 

3 providing employment services; and 

4 ‘‘(B) may include representatives of— 

5 ‘‘(i) State or local government; 

6 ‘‘(ii) State or local economic develop7 ment agencies; 

8 ‘‘(iii) other State or local agencies; 

9 ‘‘(iv) chambers of commerce; 

10 ‘‘(v) nonprofit organizations; 

11 ‘‘(vi) industry associations; and 

12 ‘‘(vii) other organizations, as deter13 mined necessary by the members com14 prising the industry or sector partnership. 

15 ‘‘(9) TARGETED INDUSTRY CLUSTER.—The 

16 term ‘targeted industry cluster’ means an industry 

17 cluster that has— 

18 ‘‘(A) economic impact in a local or regional 

19 area; 

20 ‘‘(B) immediate workforce development 

21 needs; and 

22 ‘‘(C) documented career opportunities. 

23 ‘‘(c) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appro25 priated under subsection (i), the Secretary shall 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
7 

•S 3368 IS

1 award, on a competitive basis, planning grants de2 scribed in paragraph (3) and implementation grants 

3 described in paragraph (4) to eligible entities, to en4 able the eligible entities to plan and implement, re5 spectively, the eligible entities’ strategic objectives in 

6 accordance with subsection (f). 

7 ‘‘(2) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.— 

8 ‘‘(A) PLANNING GRANTS.—A planning 

9 grant awarded under paragraph (3) shall not 

10 exceed $250,000. 

11 ‘‘(B) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.—An im12 plementation grant awarded under paragraph 

13 (4)(A) shall not exceed a total of $2,500,000 

14 for a 3-year period. 

15 ‘‘(C) RENEWAL GRANTS.—A renewal grant 

16 awarded under paragraph (4)(C) shall not ex17 ceed a total of $1,500,000 for a 3-year period. 

18 ‘‘(3) PLANNING GRANTS.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

20 award a planning grant under this section to an 

21 eligible entity that— 

22 ‘‘(i) is a newly formed industry or sec23 tor partnership; and 

24 ‘‘(ii) has not received a grant under 

25 this section. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
8 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(B) DURATION.—A planning grant shall 

2 be for a duration of 1 year. 

3 ‘‘(4) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

5 award an implementation grant under this sec6 tion to— 

7 ‘‘(i) an eligible entity that has already 

8 received a planning grant under this sec9 tion; or 

10 ‘‘(ii) an eligible entity that is an es11 tablished industry or sector partnership. 

12 ‘‘(B) DURATION.—An implementation 

13 grant shall be for a duration of not more than 

14 3 years, and may be renewed in accordance 

15 with subparagraph (C). 

16 ‘‘(C) RENEWAL.—The Secretary may 

17 renew an implementation grant for not more 

18 than 3 years. A renewal of such grant shall be 

19 subject to the requirements of this section, ex20 cept that the Secretary shall— 

21 ‘‘(i) prioritize renewals to eligible enti22 ties that can demonstrate the long-term 

23 sustainability of an industry or sector part24 nership funded under this section; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
9 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(ii) as a condition of renewing the 

2 grant, and notwithstanding subsection (d), 

3 decrease the amount of the Federal share 

4 and increase the amount of the non-Fed5 eral share required for the grant, which 

6 must include at least a 25 percent cash 

7 match from the State, the industry cluster, 

8 or some combination thereof; and 

9 ‘‘(iii) require assurances that the eligi10 ble entity will leverage, each year, addi11 tional funding sources in accordance with 

12 subparagraph (D)(ii) than the eligible enti13 ty provided for the preceding year of the 

14 grant. 

15 ‘‘(D) FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL

16 SHARE.— 

17 ‘‘(i) FEDERAL SHARE.—Except as 

18 provided in subparagraph (C)(ii), the Fed19 eral share of an implementation grant 

20 under this section shall be— 

21 ‘‘(I) 90 percent of the costs of 

22 the activities described in subsection 

23 (g), in the first year of the grant; 

24 ‘‘(II) 80 percent of such costs in 

25 the second year of the grant; and 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
10 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(III) 70 percent of such costs in 

2 the third year of the grant. 

3 ‘‘(ii) NON-FEDERAL.—The non-Fed4 eral share of an implementation grant 

5 under this section may be in cash or in6 kind, and may come from State, local, phil7 anthropic, private, or other sources. 

8 ‘‘(5) FISCAL AGENT.—Each eligible entity re9 ceiving a grant under this section that is an industry 

10 or sector partnership shall designate an entity in the 

11 partnership as the fiscal agent for purposes of this 

12 grant. 

13 ‘‘(6) USE OF GRANT FUNDS DURING GRANT PE14 RIODS.—An eligible entity receiving grant funds 

15 under a planning grant, implementation grant, or a 

16 renewal grant under this section shall expend grant 

17 funds or obligate grant funds to be expended by the 

18 last day of the grant period. 

19 ‘‘(d) APPLICATION PROCESS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IDENTIFICATION OF A TARGETED INDUS21 TRY CLUSTER.—In order to qualify for a grant 

22 under this section, an eligible entity shall identify a 

23 targeted industry cluster that could benefit from 

24 such grant by— 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
11 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(A) working with businesses, industry as2 sociations and organizations, labor organiza3 tions, State boards, local boards, economic de4 velopment agencies, and other organizations 

5 that the eligible entity determines necessary, to 

6 identify an appropriate targeted industry clus7 ter based on criteria that include, at a min8 imum— 

9 ‘‘(i) data showing the competitiveness 

10 of the industry cluster; 

11 ‘‘(ii) the importance of the industry 

12 cluster to the economic development of the 

13 area served by the eligible entity; 

14 ‘‘(iii) the identification of supply and 

15 distribution chains within the industry 

16 cluster; and 

17 ‘‘(iv) research studies on industry 

18 clusters; and 

19 ‘‘(B) working with appropriate employment 

20 agencies, workforce investment boards, eco21 nomic development agencies, community organi22 zations, and other organizations that the eligi23 ble entity determines necessary to ensure that 

24 the targeted industry cluster identified under 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
12 

•S 3368 IS

1 subparagraph (A) should be targeted for invest2 ment, based primarily on the following criteria: 

3 ‘‘(i) Demonstrated demand for job 

4 growth potential. 

5 ‘‘(ii) Competitiveness. 

6 ‘‘(iii) Employment base. 

7 ‘‘(iv) Wages and benefits. 

8 ‘‘(v) Demonstrated importance of the 

9 targeted industry cluster to the area’s 

10 economy. 

11 ‘‘(vi) Workforce development needs. 

12 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity desiring 

13 to receive a grant under this section shall submit an 

14 application to the Secretary at such time, in such 

15 manner, and containing such information as the Sec16 retary may require. An application submitted under 

17 this paragraph shall contain, at a minimum, the fol18 lowing: 

19 ‘‘(A) A description of the eligible entity, 

20 evidence of the eligible entity’s capacity to carry 

21 out activities in support of the strategic objec22 tives identified in the application under sub23 paragraph (D), and, if the eligible entity is an 

24 industry or sector partnership, a description of 

25 the expected participation and responsibilities of 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
13 

•S 3368 IS

1 each of the mandatory partners described in 

2 subsection (b)(8)(A). 

3 ‘‘(B) A description of the targeted industry 

4 cluster for which the eligible entity intends to 

5 carry out activities through a grant under this 

6 section, and a description of how such targeted 

7 industry cluster was identified in accordance 

8 with paragraph (1). 

9 ‘‘(C) A description of the workers that will 

10 be targeted or recruited by the partnership, in11 cluding an analysis of the existing labor market, 

12 a description of potential barriers to employ13 ment for targeted workers, and a description of 

14 strategies that will be employed to help workers 

15 overcome such barriers. 

16 ‘‘(D) A description of the strategic objec17 tives that the eligible entity intends to carry out 

18 for the targeted industry cluster, which objec19 tives shall include— 

20 ‘‘(i) recruiting key stakeholders in the 

21 targeted industry cluster, such as busi22 nesses and employers, labor organizations, 

23 industry associations, local boards, State 

24 boards, and education and training pro25 viders, and regularly convening the stakeVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:07 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3368.IS S3368

jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
14 

•S 3368 IS

1 holders in a collaborative structure that 

2 supports the sharing of information, ideas, 

3 and challenges common to the targeted in4 dustry cluster; 

5 ‘‘(ii) identifying the training needs of 

6 multiple businesses, especially skill gaps 

7 critical to competitiveness and innovation 

8 to the targeted industry cluster; 

9 ‘‘(iii) facilitating economies of scale by 

10 aggregating training and education needs 

11 of multiple employers; 

12 ‘‘(iv) helping postsecondary edu13 cational institutions and training institu14 tions align curricula and programs to in15 dustry demand, particularly for higher 

16 skill, high-priority occupations validated by 

17 the industry; 

18 ‘‘(v) ensuring that the State agency 

19 that administers the Wagner-Peyser Act 

20 program shall inform recipients of unem21 ployment insurance and trade adjustment 

22 assistance under chapter 2 or 6 of title II 

23 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271 

24 et seq., 2401 et seq.) of the job and trainVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:07 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3368.IS S3368

jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
15 

•S 3368 IS

1 ing opportunities that may result from the 

2 implementation of this grant; 

3 ‘‘(vi) informing and collaborating with 

4 organizations such as youth councils, busi5 ness-education partnerships, apprenticeship 

6 programs, secondary schools, and postsec7 ondary educational institutions, and with 

8 parents and career counselors, for the pur9 pose of addressing the challenges of con10 necting disadvantaged adults as defined in 

11 section 132(b)(1)(B)(v) and disadvantaged 

12 youth as defined in section 127(b) to ca13 reers; 

14 ‘‘(vii) helping companies identify, and 

15 work together to address, common organi16 zational and human resource challenges, 

17 such as— 

18 ‘‘(I) recruiting new workers; 

19 ‘‘(II) implementing effective 

20 workplace practices; 

21 ‘‘(III) retaining dislocated and 

22 incumbent workers; 

23 ‘‘(IV) implementing a high-per24 formance work organization; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
16 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(V) recruiting and retaining 

2 women in nontraditional occupations; 

3 ‘‘(VI) adopting new technologies; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(VII) fostering experiential and 

6 contextualized on-the-job learning; 

7 ‘‘(viii) developing and strengthening 

8 career ladders within and across companies 

9 (in cooperation with labor organizations if 

10 the labor organizations represent employ11 ees engaged in similar work in the industry 

12 cluster), in order to enable dislocated, in13 cumbent and entry-level workers to im14 prove skills and advance to higher-wage 

15 jobs; 

16 ‘‘(ix) improving job quality through 

17 improving wages, benefits, and working 

18 conditions; 

19 ‘‘(x) helping partner companies in in20 dustry or sector partnerships to attract po21 tential employees from a diverse job seeker 

22 base, including individuals with barriers to 

23 employment (such as job seekers who are 

24 economically disadvantaged, youth, older 

25 workers, and individuals who have comVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:07 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3368.IS S3368

jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
17 

•S 3368 IS

1 pleted a term of imprisonment), by identi2 fying such barriers through analysis of the 

3 existing labor market and implementing 

4 strategies to help such workers overcome 

5 such barriers; and 

6 ‘‘(xi) strengthening connections 

7 among businesses in the targeted industry 

8 cluster, leading to cooperation beyond 

9 workforce issues that will improve competi10 tiveness and job quality, such as joint pur11 chasing, market research, or centers for 

12 technology and innovation. 

13 ‘‘(E) A description of the manner in which 

14 the eligible entity intends to make sustainable 

15 progress toward the strategic objectives de16 scribed in subparagraph (D). 

17 ‘‘(F) Performance measures, with quantifi18 able benchmarks, for measuring progress to19 ward the strategic objectives. Such measures 

20 shall consider, at a minimum, the benefits pro21 vided by the grant activities funded under this 

22 section for— 

23 ‘‘(i) workers employed in the targeted 

24 industry cluster, disaggregated by gender 

25 and race, including— 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
18 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(I) the number of workers re2 ceiving portable industry-recognized 

3 credentials; 

4 ‘‘(II) the number of workers with 

5 increased wages, the percentage of 

6 workers with increased wages, and the 

7 average wage increase; and 

8 ‘‘(III) for dislocated or non9 incumbent workers, the number of 

10 workers placed in sector-related jobs; 

11 and 

12 ‘‘(ii) firms and industries in the tar13 geted industry cluster, including— 

14 ‘‘(I) the creation or updating of 

15 an industry plan to meet current and 

16 future workforce demand; 

17 ‘‘(II) the creation or updating of 

18 published industry-wide skill stand19 ards or career pathways; 

20 ‘‘(III) the creation or updating of 

21 portable, industry-recognized creden22 tials, or where there is not such a cre23 dential, the creation or updating of a 

24 training curriculum that can lead to 

25 the development of such a credential; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
19 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(IV) in the case of an eligible 

2 entity that is an industry or sector 

3 partnership, the number of firms, and 

4 the percentage of the local industry, 

5 participating in the industry or sector 

6 partnership; and 

7 ‘‘(V) the number of firms, and 

8 the percentage of the local industry, 

9 receiving workers or services through 

10 the grant funded under this section. 

11 ‘‘(G) A timeline for achieving progress to12 ward the strategic objectives. 

13 ‘‘(H) In the case of an eligible entity desir14 ing an implementation grant under this section, 

15 an assurance that the eligible entity will lever16 age other funding sources, in addition to the 

17 amount required for the non-Federal share 

18 under subsection (d), to provide training or 

19 supportive services to workers under the grant 

20 program. Such additional funding sources may 

21 include— 

22 ‘‘(i) funding under this title used for 

23 such training and supportive services; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
20 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(ii) funding under the Adult Edu2 cation and Family Literacy Act of 1998 

3 (20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.); 

4 ‘‘(iii) funding under chapter 2 or 6 of 

5 title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 

6 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.); 

7 ‘‘(iv) economic development funding; 

8 ‘‘(v) employer contributions to train9 ing initiatives; or 

10 ‘‘(vi) providing employees with em11 ployee release time for such training or 

12 supportive services. 

13 ‘‘(e) AWARD BASIS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The Sec15 retary shall award grants under this section in a 

16 manner to ensure geographic diversity. 

17 ‘‘(2) PRIORITIES.—In awarding grants under 

18 this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligi19 ble entities that— 

20 ‘‘(A) work with high road employers within 

21 a targeted industry cluster to retain and expand 

22 employment in high wage, high growth areas; 

23 ‘‘(B) focus on helping workers move to24 ward economic self-sufficiency and ensuring the 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
21 

•S 3368 IS

1 workers have access to adequate supportive 

2 services; 

3 ‘‘(C) address the needs of firms with lim4 ited human resources or in-house training ca5 pacity, including small- and medium-sized 

6 firms; and 

7 ‘‘(D) coordinate with entities carrying out 

8 State and local workforce investment, economic 

9 development, and education activities. 

10 ‘‘(f) ACTIVITIES.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity receiving 

12 a grant under this section shall carry out the activi13 ties necessary to meet the strategic objectives de14 scribed in the entity’s application in a manner 

15 that— 

16 ‘‘(A) integrates services and funding 

17 sources in a way that enhances the effectiveness 

18 of the activities; and 

19 ‘‘(B) uses grant funds awarded under this 

20 section efficiently. 

21 ‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—An eligible enti22 ty may retain a portion of a grant awarded under 

23 this section for a fiscal year to carry out the admin24 istration of this section in an amount not to exceed 

25 10 percent of the grant amount. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
22 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(g) EVALUATION AND PROGRESS REPORTS.— 

2 ‘‘(1) ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT AND EVALUA3 TION.—Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant 

4 under this section, and annually thereafter, an eligi5 ble entity shall— 

6 ‘‘(A) report to the Secretary, and to the 

7 Governor of the State that the eligible entity 

8 serves, on the activities funded pursuant to a 

9 grant under this section; and 

10 ‘‘(B) evaluate the progress the eligible enti11 ty has made toward the strategic objectives 

12 identified in the application under subsection 

13 (d)(2)(D), and measure the progress using the 

14 performance measures identified in the applica15 tion under subsection (d)(2)(F). 

16 ‘‘(2) REPORT TO THE SECRETARY.—An eligible 

17 entity receiving a grant under this section shall sub18 mit to the Secretary a report containing the results 

19 of the evaluation described in subparagraph (B) at 

20 such time and in such manner as the Secretary may 

21 require. 

22 ‘‘(h) ADMINISTRATION BY THE SECRETARY.— 

23 ‘‘(1) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary 

24 may retain not more than 10 percent of the funds 

25 appropriated pursuant to the authorization of approVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:07 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3368.IS S3368

jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
23 

•S 3368 IS

1 priations under subsection (j) for each fiscal year to 

2 administer this section. 

3 ‘‘(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OVER4 SIGHT.—The Secretary shall provide technical assist5 ance and oversight to assist the eligible State and 

6 local agencies or eligible entities in applying for and 

7 administering grants awarded under this section. 

8 The Secretary shall also provide technical assistance 

9 to eligible entities in the form of conferences and 

10 through the collection and dissemination of informa11 tion on best practices developed by eligible partner12 ships. The Secretary may award a grant or contract 

13 to 1 or more national or State organizations to pro14 vide technical assistance to foster the planning, for15 mation, and implementation of industry cluster part16 nerships. 

17 ‘‘(3) PERFORMANCE MEASURES.—The Sec18 retary shall issue a range of performance measures, 

19 with quantifiable benchmarks, and methodologies 

20 that eligible entities may use to evaluate the effec21 tiveness of each type of activity in making progress 

22 toward the strategic objectives described in sub23 section (d)(2)(D). Such measures shall consider the 

24 benefits of the industry or sector partnership and its 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
24 

•S 3368 IS

1 activities for workers, firms, industries, and commu2 nities. 

3 ‘‘(4) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.—The 

4 Secretary shall— 

5 ‘‘(A) coordinate the annual review of each 

6 eligible entity receiving a grant under this sec7 tion and produce an overview report that, at a 

8 minimum, includes— 

9 ‘‘(i) the critical learning of each in10 dustry or sector partnership, such as— 

11 ‘‘(I) the training that was most 

12 effective; 

13 ‘‘(II) the human resource chal14 lenges that were most common; 

15 ‘‘(III) how technology is changing 

16 the targeted industry cluster; and 

17 ‘‘(IV) the changes that may im18 pact the targeted industry cluster over 

19 the next 5 years; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) a description of what eligible en21 tities serving similar targeted industry 

22 clusters consider exemplary practices, such 

23 as— 

24 ‘‘(I) how to work effectively with 

25 postsecondary educational institutions; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
25 

•S 3368 IS

1 ‘‘(II) the use of internships; 

2 ‘‘(III) coordinating with appren3 ticeships and cooperative education 

4 programs; 

5 ‘‘(IV) how to work effectively 

6 with schools providing vocational edu7 cation; 

8 ‘‘(V) how to work effectively with 

9 adult populations, including— 

10 ‘‘(aa) dislocated workers; 

11 ‘‘(bb) women in nontradi12 tional occupations; and 

13 ‘‘(cc) individuals with bar14 riers to employment, such as job 

15 seekers who— 

16 ‘‘(AA) are economically 

17 disadvantaged; 

18 ‘‘(BB) have limited 

19 English proficiency; 

20 ‘‘(CC) require remedial 

21 education; 

22 ‘‘(DD) are older work23 ers; 

24 ‘‘(EE) are individuals 

25 who have completed a senVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:07 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3368.IS S3368

jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
26 

•S 3368 IS

1 tence for a criminal offense; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(FF) have other bar4 riers to employment; 

5 ‘‘(VI) employer practices that are 

6 most effective; 

7 ‘‘(VII) the types of training that 

8 are most effective; and 

9 ‘‘(VIII) other areas where indus10 try or sector partnerships can assist 

11 each other; 

12 ‘‘(B) make resource materials, including all 

13 reports published and all data collected under 

14 this section, available on the Internet; and 

15 ‘‘(C) conduct conferences and seminars 

16 to— 

17 ‘‘(i) disseminate information on best 

18 practices developed by eligible entities re19 ceiving a grant under this section; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) provide information to the com21 munities of eligible entities. 

22 ‘‘(5) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 

23 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

24 shall transmit a report to Congress on the industry 

25 or sector partnership grant program established by 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
27 

•S 3368 IS

1 this section. The report shall include a description 

2 of— 

3 ‘‘(A) the eligible entities receiving funding; 

4 ‘‘(B) the activities carried out by the eligi5 ble entities; 

6 ‘‘(C) how the eligible entities were selected 

7 to receive funding under this section; and 

8 ‘‘(D) an assessment of the results achieved 

9 by the grant program including findings from 

10 the annual reviews described in paragraph 

11 (4)(A). 

12 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

14 appropriated to carry out this section such sums as 

15 may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and for each 

16 succeeding fiscal year. 

17 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated 

18 pursuant to the authorization of appropriations 

19 under paragraph (1) for the fiscal year shall remain 

20 available until the end of the second fiscal year fol21 lowing the fiscal year in which such amounts were 

22 first appropriated.’’. 

23 SEC. 3. FEDERAL AGENCY COORDINATION. 

24 (a) INTERAGENCY COOPERATION.—The head of each 

25 Federal department or agency whose funding, regulations, 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
28 

•S 3368 IS

1 or other policies impact workers shall cooperate with the 

2 Secretary of Labor to— 

3 (1) maintain up-to-date information on jobs, 

4 wages, benefits, skills, and careers of workers im5 pacted by the actions of such agency or department; 

6 (2) develop and implement policies that would 

7 improve the jobs and careers of workers impacted by 

8 the actions of such agency or department; and 

9 (3) report the department or agency’s job cre10 ation and economic development strategies to the 

11 Secretary. 

12 (b) ALIGNMENT.—Notwithstanding any other provi13 sion of law, the Secretary and the heads of other Federal 

14 departments or agencies shall work together to align exist15 ing education and training programs with the dem16 onstrated needs of industry or sector partnerships, as de17 fined in section 174A(b) of the Workforce Investment Act. 

18 These collaborative efforts shall include the following: 

19 (1) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.—The Sec20 retary of Commerce shall advise the Secretary of 

21 Labor of the Department of Commerce’s workforce 

22 and economic development strategies, programs, and 

23 initiatives. 

24 (2) JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.—The Attorney 

25 General shall— 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
29 

•S 3368 IS

1 (A) align federally funded programs offer2 ing training for inmates with industry clusters 

3 (as defined in section 174A(b) of the Workforce 

4 Investment Act) and high-priority occupations, 

5 and annually review these training programs to 

6 assure that the training programs prepare indi7 viduals for high-priority occupations; and 

8 (B) align federally funded reentry pro9 grams to take advantage of information and ca10 reer opportunities provided by industry and sec11 tor partnerships. 

12 (3) DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.—The Sec13 retary of Education shall— 

14 (A) develop and support career ladders for 

15 high-priority occupations critical to targeted in16 dustry clusters served by a grant under section 

17 174A of the Workforce Investment Act; 

18 (B) develop and support innovative pro19 grams to address literacy (including English as 

20 a second language) and numeracy short21 comings, especially in those occupations critical 

22 to such targeted industry clusters; 

23 (C) develop and support programs and 

24 strategies to reduce barriers to adult education; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
30 

•S 3368 IS

1 (D) develop and support career education 

2 initiatives in middle and high schools; and 

3 (E) support initiatives to develop industry4 recognized credentials and new credit-bearing 

5 programs in public and private postsecondary 

6 educational institutions, especially in occupa7 tions critical to such targeted industry clusters. 

8 (4) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN

9 SERVICES.—The Secretary of Health and Human 

10 Services shall— 

11 (A) develop and support innovative pro12 grams that connect qualified individuals receiv13 ing assistance under the State temporary assist14 ance for needy families program funded under 

15 part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 

16 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) with employment opportuni17 ties in the targeted industry clusters served by 

18 a grant under section 174A of the Workforce 

19 Investment Act; 

20 (B) develop and support strategies to pre21 pare individuals receiving assistance under the 

22 State temporary assistance for needy families 

23 programs funded under part A of title IV of the 

24 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) for 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
31 

•S 3368 IS

1 success in postsecondary education and training 

2 programs; and 

3 (C) develop and support career education 

4 initiatives that provide such individuals with in5 formation to guide the clients’ education and 

6 training plans. 

Æ 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS