48-3302. Legislative findings and declarations.

The Legislature finds and declares:

(1) In order for Nebraska to remain prosperous and competitive, it needs to have a well-educated and highly skilled workforce;

(2) The following principles shall guide the state's workforce investment system:

(a) Workforce investment programs and services shall be responsive to the needs of employers, workers, and students by accomplishing the following:

(i) Providing Nebraska students and workers with the skills necessary to successfully compete in the global economy;

(ii) Producing greater numbers of individuals who obtain industry-recognized certificates and career-oriented degrees in competitive and emerging industry sectors and filling critical labor market skills gaps;

(iii) Adapting to rapidly changing local and regional labor markets as specific workforce skill requirements change over time;

(iv) Preparing workers for jobs that pay well and foster economic security and upward mobility; and

(v) Aligning employment programs, resources, and planning efforts regionally around industry sectors that drive regional employment to connect services and training directly to jobs;

(b) State and local workforce development boards are encouraged to collaborate with other public and private institutions, including businesses, unions, nonprofit organizations, schools from kindergarten through grade twelve, career technical education programs, adult career technical education and basic skills programs, apprenticeships, community college career technical education and basic skills programs, entrepreneurship training programs, where appropriate, and county-based social and employment services, to better align resources across workforce, training, education, and social service delivery systems and build a well-articulated workforce investment system by accomplishing the following:

(i) Adopting local and regional training and education strategies that build on the strengths and fill the gaps in the education and workforce development pipeline in order to address the needs of job seekers, workers, and employers within regional labor markets by supporting sector strategies; and

(ii) Leveraging resources across education and workforce training delivery systems to build career pathways and fill critical skills gaps;

(c) Workforce investment programs and services shall be data-driven and evidence-based when setting priorities, investing resources, and adopting practices;

(d) Workforce investment programs and services shall develop strong partnerships with the private sector, ensuring industry involvement in needs assessment, planning, and program evaluation, and:

(i) Shall encourage industry involvement by developing strong partnerships with an industry's employers and the unions that represent the industry's workers; and

(ii) May consider the needs of employers and businesses of all sizes, including large, medium, small, and microenterprises, when setting priorities, investing resources, and adopting practices;

(e) Workforce investment programs and services shall be outcome-oriented and accountable, measuring results for program participants, including, but not limited to, outcomes related to program completion, employment, and earnings; and

(f) Programs and services shall be accessible to employers, the self-employed, workers, and students who may benefit from their operation, including individuals with employment barriers, such as persons with economic, physical, or other barriers to employment;

(3) Screening designed to detect unidentified disabilities, including learning disabilities, improves workforce preparation and enhances the use of employment and training resources;

(4) Section 134(c)(2) of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. 3174(c)(2), allows for the use of funds for the initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and support services, including, when appropriate, comprehensive and specialized assessments of skill levels and service needs, including, but not limited to, diagnostic testing and the use of other assessment tools and indepth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals; and

(5) One-stop career centers are encouraged to maximize the use of federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act resources and other federal and state workforce development resources for screening designed to detect unidentified disabilities, and if indicated, to provide appropriate diagnostic assessment.

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