(A) An area occupational training advisory committee is created for each of the service areas presently established by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education for the various technical colleges. The purpose of the Area Occupational Training Advisory Committee is to increase coordination, articulation, and effectiveness among the various career, technical, occupational, and adult education and economic development programs in that area.

(B) Each area occupational training advisory committee shall have the responsibility of assuring that each area technical college commission and appropriate local school boards shall enter into memoranda of agreement that demonstrates the following:

(1) cooperation between the technical college and the career and technology school in the planning and delivery of adult career and technology education;

(2) articulation of secondary career and technology courses to post- secondary courses in the curricula of the technical college;

(3) coordination among local boards with other local community agencies, literacy councils, private and nonprofit groups in planning and delivering adult basic education, adult secondary education, and literacy programs.

(C) The membership of each area occupational training advisory committee is as follows:

(1) two private sector representatives from the area technical college commission, appointed by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education;

(2) two professional representatives from the area technical college, appointed by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education;

(3) one private sector representative from the governing or advisory board for career and technology education programs in the area, appointed by the State Board of Education;

(4) one faculty member or administrator for career and technology education programs in the area, appointed by the State Board of Education;

(5) two school superintendents in the area, appointed by the State Board of Education;

(6) two private sector representatives from the area, appointed by the Secretary of Commerce;

(7) two private sector representatives from the area, appointed by the Governor.

(D) With the joint approval of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of Commerce, an area occupational job training advisory committee may expand its membership in the manner approved by these boards or councils in order to respond to particular local needs.

(E) Each advisory committee shall elect a chairman and such other officers as they consider necessary, the chairman to be elected from among the private sector representatives on the committee. Each committee must meet within ninety days following the effective date of this chapter and the Governor's Office working through the state technical education system and the Department of Education shall convene the first meeting.

(F) Committee and staff expenses must be paid by the technical college within the service area.

(G) Vacancies on each advisory committee must be filled by appointment in the same manner of original appointment.

(H) The members of each area advisory committee so appointed shall serve until the advisory committee is dissolved as provided in this section.

(I) Each area occupational advisory committee must prepare a written report analyzing the cooperation, articulation, and coordination achieved in the memoranda of agreement between technical college commissions and local school boards. The written report must be completed and provided to the State Occupational Training Advisory Committee, the State Board of Education, the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and the affected technical college commission and local school board within sixty days after the execution of the memoranda of agreement. The written report shall contain minority or dissenting views of members of the area occupational advisory committee, if any.

(J) The area occupational advisory committees herein established are dissolved two years after the effective date of this chapter.

HISTORY: 1986 Act No. 394, Section 11; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1574; 1994 Act No. 361, Section 8; 2005 Act No. 49, Section 13, eff May 3, 2005.

Effect of Amendment

The 2005 amendment, in subsections (A), (B)(1), (2) and (C)(3), (4), substituted "career and technology" for "vocational".