(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the programs and services provided through the program shall be flexible and responsive to the needs identified through the statewide and regional planning process. Services shall be demand driven, and delivery structures shall be agile, performance oriented, cost effective, and contribute to regional economic growth and competitiveness. The use of economic and workforce development program centers, local economic development corporations, industry-driven regional collaboratives, and business networks, employers, and service providers shall provide a stable and flexible response mechanism for the identification of training priorities and to focus resources on intensive projects for competitive and emerging industry sectors. These networks shall have the flexibility to meet the demand for new and emerging growth sectors and be formed, modified, eliminated, and reformed for short- or long-term responses customized to the duration of the need. Programs and projects developed and implemented at centers and industry-driven regional collaborative projects shall act as catalysts for future career technical education programs in the system.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that centers shall be established as the long-term structure of the network’s service delivery system. Centers shall provide regional sites to efficiently respond to employer and worker needs, and shall deliver services for the strategic initiative areas pursuant to the mission of the community colleges economic and workforce development program.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that industry-driven regional collaboratives perform services as participants of regional networks. Grants by industry-driven regional collaboratives shall provide flexibility for local projects to assess and define their individual project needs. New local programs and equipment shall be key components of these grants. Funding shall not be limited per project, but shall be based on the merit and reasonable cost for the anticipated outcomes and performance of the project. Funding for industry-driven regional collaboratives shall be limited to two consecutive fiscal years.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 361, Sec. 2. (SB 1402) Effective January 1, 2013. Repealed as of January 1, 2023, pursuant to Section 88651.)