MI Comp L § 390.1705 (2021)
2021 Michigan Compiled Laws|Chapter 390 - Universities and Colleges|Act 84 of 2020 - Michigan Reconnect Grant Act (390.1701 - 390.1709)|Section 390.1705 - Michigan Reconnect Grant Program; Powers and Duties of Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity; Workgroup; Annual Written Progress Report.

390.1705 Michigan reconnect grant program; powers and duties of department of labor and economic opportunity; workgroup; annual written progress report.Sec. 5.  The Michigan reconnect grant program is created in the department for the purpose of providing Michigan reconnect grants to individuals eligible for those grants under the Michigan reconnect grant recipient act. The department shall do all of the following:  (a) Develop and administer the program.  (b) Create and maintain a program website.  (c) Create and maintain a marketing campaign for the program.  (d) Operate a help desk for the program.  (e) Create and maintain a network of navigators to help Michigan reconnect grant students navigate the path to college, supporting but not supplanting the programming and assistance offered by community colleges.  (f) Provide Michigan reconnect grant students with information about skills in demand and related compensation in the local labor market.  (g) Partner with the center to report, in a user-friendly format, credential completion outcomes of Michigan reconnect grant students.  (h) To facilitate the reporting of valid and reliable longitudinal data under subdivision (g), ensure that all eligible institutions and other individuals and entities that participate in the implementation of the Michigan reconnect grant program use the unique statewide student identification codes issued by the center to track Michigan reconnect grant students in accordance with section 94a of the school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1694a.  (i) Select and convene a workgroup to study developmental education placement policies appropriate for eligible institutions, subject to all of the following:  (i) The workgroup must include representatives from the governor's office, the legislature, eligible institutions, the department of education, secondary schools, nonprofit organizations, the United States Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship and the business community.  (ii) Not later than 9 months after the effective date of this act, the workgroup shall provide the department with written recommendations that will assist the department in doing all of the following:  (A) Identify placement practices and policies that ensure students know when remediation is required, what types of academic and nonacademic supports will be available during remediation, and when they can expect to complete credit-bearing English and mathematics courses. Policies must emphasize placement in college-level courses for as many students as possible, with students requiring remediation being placed in appropriate programs. For purposes of this sub-subparagraph, on and after January 1, 2022, a remediation program is appropriate only if it complies with section 3(c)(v).  (B) Encourage eligible institutions across this state to adopt consistent placement polices.  (C) Clearly communicate sound policies for course placement and options for remedial courses.  (iii) Following the department's acceptance of the workgroup's recommendations under subparagraph (ii), the workgroup shall disband.  (j) Not later than 6 months after the effective date of this act, organize regional meetings of labor market stakeholders, including business organizations, trade unions, community colleges, Michigan works agencies, private training providers, and regional workforce and economic development representatives, to plan effective ways to ensure that occupational certificates provided by eligible institutions provide skills in demand in the regional labor market.  (k) As part of the department's responsibility to better connect education and training demands in the labor market with qualified degree, training, and apprenticeship programs, facilitate efforts by businesses, unions, and community colleges to effectively match skills provided with those in demand.  (l) By not later than February 1 each year, beginning in 2021, provide a written report detailing the progress of the Michigan reconnect grant program to the chairpersons of the standing committees and the appropriations subcommittees of the house of representatives and senate having jurisdiction over legislation or oversight of appropriations pertaining to workforce development. The report, at minimum, must include all of the following information for the immediately preceding academic year:  (i) The total amount of Michigan reconnect grants awarded to Michigan reconnect grant students.  (ii) The total amount of funding used for oversight and implementation of the Michigan reconnect grant program, including, but not limited to, total funding used for each of the following:  (A) Full-time equated positions.  (B) System improvements.  (C) Training costs.  (iii) The total amount of funding used for program support services, including, but not limited to, total funding used for each of the following:  (A) Full-time equated positions.   (B) Case management.   (C) Technical assistance.   (iv) The total amount of funding used for marketing.  (v) The total number of navigators employed by the department; the total number of navigators assigned to each eligible institution; and the number of Michigan reconnect grant students assigned to each navigator, organized by eligible institution.  (vi) The total number of eligible institutions to which Michigan reconnect grants were paid for credit to student accounts under section 17 of the Michigan reconnect grant recipient act; a list of the names of those eligible institutions; and the total number and amount of Michigan reconnect grants that were awarded, organized by eligible institution.  (vii) The total number of individuals who applied for Michigan reconnect grants; the total number of individuals awarded those grants; and the total number of grant recipients who earned either an associate degree or industry-recognized certificate or credential.  (viii) Any other relevant information, as determined by the department. History: 2020, Act 84, Imd. Eff. Apr. 2, 2020