Limited English Proficiency and Integrated Workforce Training Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish and implement a national demonstration project to analyze and provide data on workforce training programs that integrate English language acquisition and occupational training.
Requires the Secretary to award at least ten competitive grants to entities with expertise in serving individuals with limited English proficiency and in providing such integrated training programs. Requires such entities to work with a local board and to include as a principal participant at least one of the following: (1) an employer or employer organization; (2) a nonprofit provider of English instruction; (3) a provider of occupational or skills training; (4) a community-based organization; (5) an educational institution, including a two- or four-year college, or a technical or vocational school; (6) a labor organization; or (7) a local board.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1690 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1690
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for integrated
workforce training programs for adults with limited English
proficiency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 1, 2003
Mr. Bingaman (for himself and Mr. Bond) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for integrated
workforce training programs for adults with limited English
proficiency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Limited English Proficiency and
Integrated Workforce Training Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 system is
designed--
(A) to ensure universal access for individuals in
need of employment and training systems; and
(B) to equip workers with those skills that
contribute to lifelong education.
(2) The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 system is designed
to recognize and reinforce the link between economic
development and workforce development to meet the joint demands
of employers and workers.
(3) The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 system should
address the ongoing shortage of essential skills in the United
States workforce in sectors with economic growth to ensure the
United States remains competitive in the global economy.
(4) Immigrants accounted for over 50 percent of the growth
in the civilian workforce between 1990 and 2001, and assuming
today's levels of immigration remain constant, immigrants will
account for half of the growth in the working age population
between 2006 and 2015.
(5) The growth of the United States workforce and the
competitiveness of the United States economy is directly linked
to immigrants, some of whom are limited English proficient.
(6) The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 system may be
significantly strengthened by funding the development of an
employer centered integrated workforce training program for
adults with limited English proficiency, taking into account
the needs of the local and regional economy and the linguistic,
social, and cultural characteristics of the individual.
SEC. 3. INTEGRATED WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS WITH LIMITED
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.
Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C.
2916) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Integrated Workforce Training Programs for Adults With
Limited English Proficiency.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Integrated workforce training.--The term
`integrated workforce training' means training that
integrates occupational skills training with language
acquisition.
``(B) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the
Secretary of Labor in consultation with the Secretary
of Education.
``(2) Demonstration project.--In accordance with subsection
(b), the Secretary shall establish and implement a national
demonstration project designed to both analyze and provide data
on workforce training programs that integrate English language
acquisition and occupational training.
``(3) Grants.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the
demonstration project, the Secretary shall make not
less than 10 grants, on a competitive basis, to
eligible entities to provide the integrated workforce
training programs. In awarding grants under this
subsection the Secretary shall take into consideration
awarding grants to eligible entities from diverse
geographic areas, including rural areas.
``(B) Periods.--The Secretary shall make the grants
for periods of not less than 24 months and not more
than 48 months.
``(4) Eligible entities.--
``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a
grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall
work in conjunction with a local board and shall
include as a principal participant one or more of the
following:
``(i) An employer or employer association.
``(ii) A nonprofit provider of English
language instruction.
``(iii) A provider of occupational or
skills training.
``(iv) A community-based organization.
``(v) An educational institution, including
a 2- or 4-year college, or a technical or
vocational school.
``(vi) A labor organization.
``(vii) A local board.
``(B) Expertise.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under this subsection, an eligible entity shall have
proven expertise in--
``(i) serving individuals with limited
English proficiency, including individuals with
lower levels of oral and written English; and
``(ii) providing workforce programs with
training and English language instruction.
``(5) Applications.--
``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a
grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
``(B) Contents.--Each application submitted under
subparagraph (A) shall--
``(i) contain information, including
capability statements, that demonstrates that
the eligible entity has the expertise described
in paragraph (4)(B); and
``(ii) include an assurance that the
program to be assisted shall--
``(I) establish a generalized adult
bilingual workforce training and
education model that integrates English
language acquisition and occupational
training, and incorporates the unique
linguistic and cultural factors of the
participants;
``(II) establish a framework by
which the employer, employee, and other
relevant members of the eligible entity
can create a career development and
training plan that assists both the
employer and the employee to meet their
long-term needs;
``(III) ensure that this framework
takes into consideration the knowledge,
skills, and abilities of the employee
with respect to both the current and
economic conditions of the employer and
future labor market conditions relevant
to the local area; and
``(IV) establish identifiable
measures so that the progress of the
employee and employer and the relative
efficacy of the program can be
evaluated and best practices
identified.
``(6) -Criteria.--The Secretary of Labor shall establish
criteria for awarding grants under this subsection.
``(7) Integrated workforce training programs.--
``(A) Program components.--
``(i) Required components.--Each program
that receives funding under this subsection
shall--
``(I) test an individual's English
language proficiency levels to assess
oral and literacy gains from the
beginning and throughout program
enrollment;
``(II) combine training specific to
a particular occupation or occupational
cluster, with--
``(aa) English language
instruction, such as
instruction through English as
a Second Language program, or
English for Speakers of Other
Languages;
``(bb) basic skills
instruction; and
``(cc) supportive services;
``(III) effectively integrate
public and private sector entities,
including the local workforce
investment system and its functions, to
achieve the goals of the program; and
``(IV) require matching or in-kind
resources from private and nonprofit
entities.
``(ii) Permissible components.--The program
may offer other services as necessary to
promote successful participation and
completion, including work-based learning,
substance abuse treatment, and mental health
services.
``(B) Goal.--Each program that receives funding
under this subsection shall be designed to prepare
limited English proficient adults for and place such
adults in employment in growing industries with
identifiable career ladder paths.
``(C) Program types.--In selecting programs to
receive funding under this subsection, the Secretary
shall select programs that meet 1 or more of the
following criteria:
``(i) A program that--
``(I) serves unemployed, limited
English proficient individuals with
significant work experience or
substantial education but persistently
low wages; and
``(II) aims to prepare such
individuals for and place such
individuals in higher paying
employment, defined for purposes of
this subparagraph as employment that
provides at least 75 percent of the median wage in the local area.
``(ii) A program that--
``(I) serves limited English
proficient individuals with lower
levels of oral and written fluency, who
are working but at persistently low
wages; and
``(II) aims to prepare such
individuals for and place such
individuals in higher paying
employment, through services provided
at the worksite, or at a location
central to several worksites, during
work hours.
``(iii) A program that--
``(I) serves unemployed, limited
English proficient individuals with
lower levels of oral and written
fluency, who have little or no work
experience; and
``(II) aims to prepare such
individuals for and place such
individuals in employment through
services that include subsidized
employment, in addition to the
components required in subparagraph
(A)(i).
``(iv) A program that includes funds from
private and nonprofit entities.
``(D) Program approaches.--In selecting programs to
receive funding under this subsection, the Secretary
shall select programs with different approaches to
integrated workforce training, in different contexts,
in order to obtain comparative data on multiple
approaches to integrated workforce training and English
language instruction, to ensure programs are tailored
to characteristics of individuals with varying skill
levels and to assess how different curricula work for
limited English proficient populations. Such approaches
may include--
``(i) bilingual programs in which the
workplace language component and the training
are conducted in a combination of an
individual's native language and English;
``(ii) integrated workforce training
programs that combine basic skills, language
instruction, and job specific skills training.
``(iii) sequential programs that provide a
progression of skills, language, and training
to ensure success upon an individual's
completion of the program.
``(8) Evaluation by eligible entity.--Each eligible entity
that receives a grant under this subsection for a program shall
carry out a continuous program evaluation and an evaluation
specific to the last phase of the program operations.
``(9) Evaluation by secretary.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an
evaluation of program impacts of the programs funded
under the demonstration project, with a random
assignment, experimental design impact study done at
each worksite at which such a program is carried out.
``(B) Data collection and analysis.--The Secretary
shall collect and analyze the data from the
demonstration project to determine program
effectiveness, including gains in language proficiency,
acquisition of skills, and job advancement for program
participants.
``(C) Report.--The Secretary shall prepare and
submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on
Education and the Workforce of the House of
Representatives, and make available to the public, a
report on the demonstration project, including the
results of the evaluation.
``(10) Technical assistance.--The Secretary shall provide
technical assistance to recipients of grants under this
subsection throughout the grant periods.
``(11) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to
amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 174(b),
there are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2004--
``(A) $10,000,000 to make grants under paragraph
(3); and
``(B) $1,000,000 to carry out paragraph (9).''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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