§ 16-80-5. Local partnerships. (a) Local partnerships will be developed to provide a framework within which local districts or consortia can develop school-to-work strategies which will:

(1) Be integrated with education reform and school improvement efforts;

(2) Offer opportunities for all students to participate in education and training programs that will prepare students for high skill, high wage careers and result in certification of knowledge and skills through a process such as a certificate of initial mastery and a certificate of advanced mastery recognized by both the education and business communities;

(3) Increase opportunities for continuing education, two (2) year or four (4) year colleges and other technical education experiences;

(4) Engage families in multiple roles to support and enhance opportunities for children to transition from school to work and to develop in-depth partnerships with businesses, colleges, families and community organizations to offer technical and substantive student workplace experiences for schools;

(5) Be part of the state's comprehensive education reform;

(6) Be integrated with the state's school-to-work plan;

(7) Be integrated with the state's workforce development plan and economic reform initiative;

(8) Offer opportunities for all students to participate in performance-based education and training programs that will:

(i) Enable students to earn portable credentials;

(ii) Prepare the students for first jobs in high skill, high wage careers; and

(iii) Increase their opportunities for further education, including education in a four (4) year college or university.

(9) Utilize workplace as active learning environments in the educational process by making employers and labor organizations joint partners with educators in providing opportunities for all students to participate in high quality, work-based learning experiences;

(10) Build on and advance existing promising practices;

(11) Be integrated with the local partnerships established through the local educational collaboratives and their transition centers.

(b) In developing the school-to-work system, the emphasis shall be on a structure that is flexible to meet local school needs and is available to students as needed and appropriate. Students and parents shall be involved in the students' choices of career paths. The human resource investment council's school-to-work subcommittee, for the purpose of successfully establishing and implementing the school-to-work system, shall endeavor to obtain the cooperation of employers, employees, unions, the commission on higher education, post-secondary institutions and school districts.

(c) Programs and opportunities developed under this chapter shall not impair existing collective bargaining relationships, displace current employees, prevent rehiring laid-off employees, or impair promotion or job training opportunities for current employees.

History of Section. (P.L. 1996, ch. 161, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 251, § 1.)