(A) The Department of Commerce shall provide oversight to the regional education centers, which are to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of information, resources, and services to students, educators, employers, and the community as provided in this article. The department shall seek the input from the State Department of Education in carrying out the requirements of this section.

(B) The primary responsibilities of these centers are to:

(1) provide services to students and adults for career planning, employment seeking, training, and other support functions;

(2) provide information, resources, and professional development programs to educators;

(3) provide resources to school districts for compliance and accountability pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 59, Title 59;

(4) provide information and resources to employers including, but not limited to, education partnerships, career-oriented learning, and training services;

(5) facilitate local connections among businesses and those involved in education;

(6) work with school districts and institutions of higher education to create and coordinate workforce education programs; and

(7) ensure each regional education center has a career development facilitator.

(C)(1) Each regional education center shall have a career development facilitator to coordinate career oriented learning, career development, and postsecondary transitioning for the schools in its region.

(2) A career development facilitator must be certified and recognized by the National Career Development Association.

(D) The centers shall provide data and reports that the department requests.

(E)(1) The regional centers must conform to the geographic configuration of the Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIA) of the South Carolina Workforce Investment Act. Each regional center shall have an advisory board comprised of a school district superintendent, high school principal, local workforce investment board chairperson, technical college president, four-year college or university representative, career center director or school district career and technology education coordinator, parent-teacher organization representative, and business and civic leaders. Appointees must reside or do business in the geographic area of the center. Appropriate local legislative delegations shall make the appointments to the regional center boards.

(2) The regional centers shall include, but not be limited to, the one-stop shops, workforce investment boards, tech prep consortia, and regional instructional technology centers.

HISTORY: 2014 Act No. 149 (H.3410), Section 1, eff April 7, 2014.