(a) The Collaborative Degree Completion Program is hereby established as a collaborative partnership which includes the following:

(1) The public school career and technical centers which includes state technology centers, technical centers, career centers and career/technical centers; and

(2) The state community and technical colleges.

(b) The program shall meet the following objectives:

(1) Increasing the number of West Virginians who hold a college credential and providing opportunities for a larger number of adults to earn that credential;

(2) Increasing the education and technical skill levels of the state's work force; and

(3) Delivering post-secondary technical education in the most effective and cost efficient manner by maximizing the available resources of career centers and community and technical colleges.

(c) The program shall be adopted by each community and technical college/career and technical education consortia planning district. Each district shall assess the needs of its employers, institutions and centers and may adapt the basic model to fit the needs of the area to be served; however, each model shall include the following basic strategies to meet the objectives established in this article:

(1) Identify post-secondary adult career-technical education programs offered by the public school career centers that are to be evaluated for delivery as a Certificate of Applied Science or an Associate of Applied Science Degree;

(2) Ensure that all collaborative programs meet the conditions of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges which is the accrediting body for state community and technical colleges;

(3) Ensure that all collaborative programs meet the academic standards of the participating college; and

(4) Provide for the collaborative program to remain onsite at the career and technical center if participating agencies determine that site to be the best location for achieving program objectives.