(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that the state board for community colleges and occupational education is charged to develop and establish state policy for occupational education and to govern the state system of community colleges. The board shall be responsible for the establishment of statewide career and technical education policy for all the entities which provide such education and shall coordinate all aspects of career and technical education in the state to assure quality programming and efficient delivery of such education.

(2) In its role as the governing authority for the state system of community colleges, the board shall assure a system of two-year program delivery throughout the state coordinated, where appropriate, with the local district colleges. In order to assist the board in carrying out its responsibilities, the general assembly hereby provides for the establishment of local councils to advise the board on the operation of individual community and local district colleges from a local perspective.

(3) The function of the two-year college system is to conduct occupational, technical, and community service programs with no term limitations and general education, including college transfer programs with unrestricted admissions. It is further the intent of this article to develop appropriate occupational education and adult education programs in these and other postsecondary educational institutions, to maintain and expand occupational education programs in the elementary and secondary schools of the state permitting local school districts already having area technical colleges to continue to operate them, and to develop work study and on-the-job training programs designed to acquaint youth with the world of work and to train and retrain youth and adults for employment. The general assembly intends that state agencies concerned with occupational education in the public schools shall cooperate with the board in planning and implementing occupational education programs, to the end that the state of Colorado has complete and well-balanced occupational and adult education programs available to the people of Colorado at all educational levels.