(A) The health information and imaging technology workforce development pilot project is hereby established. Under the project, in fiscal years 2008 through 2010, the chancellor of higher education shall design and implement a three-year pilot program to test, in the vicinity of Clark, Greene, and Montgomery counties, how a P-16 public-private education and workforce development collaborative may address each of the following goals:

(1) Increase the number of students taking and mastering high-level science, technology, engineering, or mathematics courses and pursuing careers in those subjects, in all demographic regions of the state;

(2) Increase the number of students pursuing professional careers in health information and imaging technology upon receiving related technical education and professional experience, in all demographic regions of the state;

(3) Unify efforts among schools, career centers, post-secondary programs, and employers in a region for career and workforce development, preservation, and public education.

(B) The project shall focus on enhancing P-16 education and workforce development in the field of health information and imaging technology through such activities as increased academic intervention in related areas of study, after-school and summer intervention programs, tutoring, career and job fairs and other promotional and recruitment activities, externships, professional development, field trips, academic competitions, development of related specialized study modules, development of honors programs, and development and enhancement of dual high school and college enrollment programs.

(C) Project participants shall include Clark-Shawnee local school district, Springfield city school district, Greene county career center, Clark state community college, Central state university, Wright state university, Cedarville university, Wittenberg university, the university of Dayton, and private employers in the health information and imaging technology industry in the vicinity of Clark, Greene, and Montgomery counties, selected by the chancellor.

For the third year of the project, the chancellor may add as participants the Dayton city school district and Xenia city school district.

(D) Wittenberg university shall be the lead coordinating agent and Clark state community college shall be the fiscal agent for the project.

(E) The chancellor shall create an advisory council made up of representatives of the participating entities to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the project. The advisory council shall submit an annual activity report to the chancellor by a date specified by the chancellor.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Effective Date: 2007 HB119 06-30-2007