‘‘(i) recruiting key stakeholders in the 
targeted industry cluster, such as multiple 
businesses and employers, labor organiza-
tions, local boards, and education and 
training providers, and regularly convening 
the stakeholders in a collaborative struc-
ture that supports the sharing of informa-
tion, ideas, and challenges common to the 
targeted industry cluster; 
‘‘(ii) identifying the training needs of 
multiple businesses, especially skill gaps 
critical to competitiveness and innovation 
to the targeted industry cluster; 
‘‘(iii) facilitating economies of scale by 
aggregating training and education needs 
of multiple employers; 
‘‘(iv) 
helping 
postsecondary 
edu-
cational institutions, training institutions, 
apprenticeship programs, and all other 
training programs authorized under this 
Act, align curricula, entrance require-
ments, and programs to industry demand 
and nationally portable, industry-recog-
nized credentials (or, if not available for 
the targeted industry, other credentials, as 
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determined appropriate by the Secretary), 
particularly for higher skill, high-priority 
occupations validated by the industry; 
‘‘(v) ensuring that the State agency 
carrying out the State program under the 
Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.), 
including staff of the agency that provide 
services under such Act, shall inform re-
cipients of unemployment insurance of the 
job and training opportunities that may re-
sult from the implementation of this grant; 
‘‘(vi) informing and collaborating with 
organizations such as youth councils, busi-
ness-education partnerships, apprenticeship 
programs, secondary schools, and postsec-
ondary educational institutions, and with 
parents and career counselors, for the pur-
pose of addressing the challenges of con-
necting disadvantaged adults as defined in 
section 132(b)(1)(B)(v) and disadvantaged 
youth as defined in section 127(b) to ca-
reers; 
‘‘(vii) helping companies identify, and 
work together to address, common organi-
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zational and human resource challenges, 
such as— 
‘‘(I) recruiting new workers; 
‘‘(II) 
implementing 
effective 
workplace practices; 
‘‘(III) retraining dislocated and 
incumbent workers; 
‘‘(IV) implementing a high-per-
formance work organization; 
‘‘(V) recruiting and retaining 
women in nontraditional occupations; 
‘‘(VI) adopting new technologies; 
and 
‘‘(VII) fostering experiential and 
contextualized on-the-job learning; 
‘‘(viii) developing and strengthening 
career ladders within and across compa-
nies, in order to enable dislocated, incum-
bent and entry-level workers to improve 
skills and advance to higher-wage jobs; 
‘‘(ix) improving job quality through 
improving wages, benefits, and working 
conditions; 
‘‘(x) helping partner companies in in-
dustry or sector partnerships to attract po-
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tential employees from a diverse job seeker 
base, including individuals with barriers to 
employment (such as job seekers who are 
low income, youth, older workers, and indi-
viduals who have completed a term of im-
prisonment), by identifying such barriers 
through analysis of the existing labor mar-
ket and implementing strategies to help 
such workers overcome such barriers; and 
‘‘(xi) 
strengthening 
connections 
among businesses in the targeted industry 
cluster, leading to cooperation beyond 
workforce issues that will improve competi-
tiveness and job quality, such as joint pur-
chasing, market research, or centers for 
technology and innovation. 
‘‘(E) A description of the nationally port-
able, industry-recognized credentials or, if not 
available, other credentials, related to the tar-
geted industry cluster that the eligible entity 
proposes to support, develop, or use as a per-
formance measure, in order to carry out the 
strategic objectives described in subparagraph 
(D). 
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‘‘(F) A description of the manner in which 
the eligible entity intends to make sustainable 
progress toward the strategic objectives. 
‘‘(G) Performance measures for measuring 
progress toward the strategic objectives. Such 
performance measures— 
‘‘(i) may consider the benefits pro-
vided by the grant activities funded under 
this section for workers employed in the 
targeted industry cluster, disaggregated by 
gender and race, such as— 
‘‘(I) the number of workers re-
ceiving nationally portable, industry- 
recognized credentials (or, if not avail-
able for the targeted industry, other 
credentials) described in the applica-
tion under subparagraph (E); 
‘‘(II) the number of workers with 
increased wages, the percentage of 
workers with increased wages, and the 
average wage increase; and 
‘‘(III) for dislocated or non-
incumbent workers, the number of 
workers placed in sector-related jobs; 
and 
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‘‘(ii) may consider the benefits pro-
vided by the grant activities funded under 
this section for firms and industries in the 
targeted industry cluster, such as— 
‘‘(I) the creation or updating of 
an industry plan to meet current and 
future workforce demand; 
‘‘(II) the creation or updating of 
published industry-wide skill stand-
ards or career pathways; 
‘‘(III) the creation or updating of 
nationally 
portable, 
industry-recog-
nized credentials, or where there is 
not such a credential, the creation or 
updating of a training curriculum that 
can lead to the development of such a 
credential; 
‘‘(IV) the number of firms, and 
the percentage of the local industry, 
participating in the industry or sector 
partnership; and 
‘‘(V) the number of firms, and 
the percentage of the local industry, 
receiving workers or services through 
the grant funded under this section. 
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‘‘(1) GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—The Sec-
retary shall award grants under this section in a 
manner to ensure geographic diversity. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITIES.—In awarding grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligi-
ble entities that— 
‘‘(A) work with employers within a tar-
geted industry cluster to retain and expand em-
ployment in high wage, high growth areas; 
‘‘(B) focus on helping workers move to-
ward economic self-sufficiency and ensuring the 
workers have access to adequate supportive 
services; 
‘‘(C) address the needs of firms with lim-
ited human resources or in-house training ca-
pacity, including small- and medium-sized 
firms; and 
‘‘(D) coordinate with entities carrying out 
State and local workforce investment, economic 
development, and education activities. 
‘‘(f) ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity receiving 
a grant under this section shall carry out the activi-
ties necessary to meet the strategic objectives, in-
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cluding planning activities if applicable, described in 
the entity’s application in a manner that— 
‘‘(A) 
integrates 
services 
and 
funding 
sources in a way that enhances the effectiveness 
of the activities; and 
‘‘(B) uses grant funds awarded under this 
section efficiently. 
‘‘(2) PLANNING
ACTIVITIES.—Planning activi-
ties may only be carried out by an eligible entity re-
ceiving an implementation grant under this section 
during the first year of the grant period with not 
more than $250,000 of the grant funds. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—An eligible enti-
ty may retain a portion of a grant awarded under 
this section for a fiscal year to carry out the admin-
istration of this section in an amount not to exceed 
5 percent of the grant amount. 
‘‘(g) EVALUATION AND PROGRESS REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT AND EVALUA-
TION.—Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant 
under this section, and annually thereafter, an eligi-
ble entity shall— 
‘‘(A) report to the Secretary, and to the 
Governor of the State that the eligible entity 
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serves, on the activities funded pursuant to a 
grant under this section; and 
‘‘(B) evaluate the progress the eligible enti-
ty has made toward the strategic objectives 
identified in the application under subsection 
(d)(2)(D), and measure the progress using the 
performance measures identified in the applica-
tion under subsection (d)(2)(G). 
‘‘(2) REPORT TO THE SECRETARY.—An eligible 
entity receiving a grant under this section shall sub-
mit to the Secretary a report containing the results 
of the evaluation described in subparagraph (B) at 
such time and in such manner as the Secretary may 
require. 
‘‘(h) ADMINISTRATION BY THE SECRETARY.— 
‘‘(1) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary 
may retain not more than 10 percent of the funds 
appropriated to carry out this section for each fiscal 
year to administer this section. 
‘‘(2) 
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
AND
OVER-
SIGHT.—The Secretary shall provide technical assist-
ance and oversight to assist the eligible entities in 
applying for and administering grants awarded 
under this section. The Secretary shall also provide 
technical assistance to eligible entities in the form of 
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conferences and through the collection and dissemi-
nation of information on best practices. The Sec-
retary may award a grant or contract to one or more 
national or State organizations to provide technical 
assistance to foster the planning, formation, and im-
plementation of industry cluster partnerships. 
‘‘(3) PERFORMANCE
MEASURES.—The Sec-
retary shall issue a range of performance measures, 
with quantifiable benchmarks, and methodologies 
that eligible entities may use to evaluate the effec-
tiveness of each type of activity in making progress 
toward the strategic objectives described in sub-
section (d)(2)(D). Such measures shall consider the 
benefits of the industry or sector partnership and its 
activities for workers, firms, industries, and commu-
nities. 
‘‘(4) DISSEMINATION
OF
INFORMATION.—The 
Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) coordinate the annual review of each 
eligible entity receiving a grant under this sec-
tion and produce an overview report that, at a 
minimum, includes— 
‘‘(i) the critical learning of each in-
dustry or sector partnership, such as— 
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‘‘(I) the training that was most 
effective; 
‘‘(II) the human resource chal-
lenges that were most common; 
‘‘(III) how technology is changing 
the targeted industry cluster; and 
‘‘(IV) the changes that may im-
pact the targeted industry cluster over 
the next 5 years; and 
‘‘(ii) a description of what eligible en-
tities serving similar targeted industry 
clusters consider exemplary practices, such 
as— 
‘‘(I) how to work effectively with 
postsecondary educational institutions; 
‘‘(II) the use of internships; 
‘‘(III) coordinating with appren-
ticeships and cooperative education 
programs; 
‘‘(IV) how to work effectively 
with schools providing vocational edu-
cation; 
‘‘(V) how to work effectively with 
adult populations, including— 
‘‘(aa) dislocated workers; 
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‘‘(bb) women in nontradi-
tional occupations; and 
‘‘(cc) individuals with bar-
riers to employment, such as job 
seekers who— 
‘‘(AA) are economically 
disadvantaged; 
‘‘(BB) 
have 
limited 
English proficiency; 
‘‘(CC) require remedial 
education; 
‘‘(DD) are older work-
ers; 
‘‘(EE) are individuals 
who have completed a sen-
tence for a criminal offense; 
and 
‘‘(FF) have other bar-
riers to employment; 
‘‘(VI) employer practices that are 
most effective; 
‘‘(VII) the types of training that 
are most effective; 
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‘‘(VIII) other areas where indus-
try or sector partnerships can assist 
each other; and 
‘‘(IX) alignment of curricula to 
nationally 
portable, 
industry-recog-
nized credentials in the sectors where 
they are available or, if not available 
for the sector, other credentials, as 
described in the application under 
subsection (d)(2)(E); 
‘‘(B) make resource materials, including all 
reports published and all data collected under 
this section, available on the Internet; and 
‘‘(C) conduct conferences and seminars 
to— 
‘‘(i) disseminate information on best 
practices developed by eligible entities re-
ceiving a grant under this section; and 
‘‘(ii) provide information to the com-
munities of eligible entities. 
‘‘(5) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of the Strengthening Employ-
ment Clusters to Organize Regional Success Act of 
2013 and on an annual basis thereafter, the Sec-
retary shall transmit a report to Congress on the in-
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dustry or sector partnership grant program estab-
lished by this section. The report shall include a de-
scription of— 
‘‘(A) the eligible entities receiving funding; 
‘‘(B) the activities carried out by the eligi-
ble entities; 
‘‘(C) how the eligible entities were selected 
to receive funding under this section; and 
‘‘(D) an assessment of the results achieved 
by the grant program including findings from 
the annual reviews described in paragraph 
(4)(A). 
‘‘(i) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to permit the reporting or sharing 
of personally identifiable information collected or made 
available under this section.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents in section 1(b) of the Workforce Investment Act of 
1998 (20 U.S.C. 9201 note) is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 171 the following: 
‘‘171A. Industry or sector partnership grant program.’’. 
Æ 
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