(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Skills for Jobs Act”.

(b) To the extent practicable within available resources and subject to the availability of data currently collected by and accessible to state agencies, the Tennessee higher education commission, in consultation with the department of labor and workforce development and any other entity the commission deems appropriate, shall produce an annual report regarding state workforce need projections and credential production. The report shall:

(1) Indicate the state's anticipated workforce needs and the number of degrees, certificates, and other credentials that public and private institutions of higher education, including schools authorized under the Postsecondary Education Authorization Act, compiled in chapter 7, part 20 of this title, expect to issue;

(2) To the extent provided by sources external to the commission, indicate the state's anticipated number of degrees, certificates, and other credentials that high school career and technical programs, apprenticeship programs, and other public or private workforce training programs expect to issue;

(3) Identify any workforce needs, including areas of specialization within a particular vocation, that may not be met by the education, training, and apprenticeship programs; and

(4) Identify institutions, public or private, that may meet projected workforce needs.

(c) The department of labor and workforce development shall provide data on the state's anticipated workforce needs and other information, as requested by the Tennessee higher education commission, that is necessary to produce the report under subsection (b) by October 1, 2013, and by October 1 of each year thereafter.

(d) The commission, by January 15, 2014, and by January 15 of each year thereafter, shall provide a copy of the report to the education committee and the commerce and labor committee of the senate, the education committee and commerce committee of the house of representatives, and the governor. The commission shall send the report to the board of regents, the University of Tennessee board of trustees and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association. The commission shall work with the department of education to provide the report to the state's public school districts and private elementary, middle, and high schools. The report may be provided electronically.