Relating to work-based learning, including by repealing provisions related to regional industry sector partnerships and the statewide work-based learning intermediary network, establishing the workforce opportunity fund within the department of workforce development, modifying provisions related to career and technical education, student teacher requirements for students with substitute teaching or para-educator experience, and the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program, and making appropriations

DIVISION I —— REGIONAL INDUSTRY SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS AND STATEWIDE WORK-BASED LEARNING INTERMEDIARY NETWORK.15 authorizes community colleges and the department of workforce development (IWD) to use moneys for the pathways for academic career and employment program to provide staff and support for the development and implementation of a regional industry sector partnership within each region served by each community college.15 and makes conforming changes.16 establishes the statewide work-based learning intermediary network program within IWD for the purpose of preparing students for the workforce by facilitating cooperation and collaboration between businesses and entities within the state system of education and offering relevant, work-based learning activities to students and teachers.16 and makes conforming changes. DIVISION II —— CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND WORK-BASED LEARNING. Current law requires school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to offer and teach, in grades through 12, a minimum of three sequential units in at least four career and technical education service areas.125 (community colleges and post-secondary readiness bureau), as modified by the bill. The bill also provides that instructional programs that include work-based learning may be provided when school is not in session, including during the summer months. DIVISION III —— STUDENT TEACHING. Current law provides that the student teaching experience provided during a practitioner preparation program shall be a minimum of weeks in duration during the student’s final year of the program. The bill provides that the student teaching experience may be reduced to four weeks in duration if the student bears the primary responsibility for planning, instruction, and assessment within the classroom during the student teaching experience; the board of educational examiners (BOEE) has issued a substitute license, substitute authorization, or para-educator certificate to the student, and the student has prior experience working as a substitute teacher or a para-educator; and the student teaching experience takes place in the classroom of a cooperating teacher who is appropriately licensed in the subject area and grade level endorsement for which the student is being prepared. Additionally, the bill provides that requirements related to the student teacher experience may be satisfied if the student teaching experience takes place in the classroom of a cooperating teacher who is appropriately licensed in the subject area and grade level endorsement for which the student is being prepared, and lasts for at least one-half of each school day; under the supervision of the cooperating teacher, and for at least one-half of each school day, the student bears the primary responsibility for planning, instruction, and assessment within the classroom for a minimum of four weeks during the student teaching experience; and the BOEE has issued a para-educator certificate to the student, and the student works as a para-educator for at least one-half of each school day during the student teaching experience. DIVISION IV —— CHANGES TO DEFINED TERMS. The bill modifies the definition of “work-based learning” for purposes of the Iowa registered apprenticeship Act, and for purposes of the community colleges and post-secondary readiness bureau within the higher education division of the department of education, to mean opportunities and experiences that include but are not limited to sustained project-based learning in partnership with an employer, simulated work experiences aligned with industry-recognized credentials, high-quality pre-apprenticeships aligned to an apprenticeship, student learner programs, internships, and apprenticeships. The bill also modifies the definitions of “quality pre-apprenticeship program” and “youth apprenticeship” for purposes of the Iowa registered apprenticeship Act. DIVISION V —— DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT —— WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITY FUND. The bill establishes a workforce opportunity fund in the state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the department of workforce development. The bill provides that the fund shall consist of appropriations made to the fund, any other moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the department from the federal government or private sources for placement in the fund, and transfers of interest, earnings, and moneys from other funds as provided by law. Additionally, the bill appropriates moneys in the fund to the department for the purposes of training and infrastructure related to the growth and maintenance of the state’s workforce programs. The bill establishes that permitted uses of the moneys in the fund include equipment, instructional materials, stipends, and other training-related costs. The bill requires that, on or before December of each year, the department shall submit a report to the general assembly and the legislative services agency that contains a list of all expenditures from the fund made in the previous fiscal year. The bill provides that the legislative services agency is to provide a copy of the report to the co-chairpersons and ranking members of the joint appropriations subcommittee on economic development. The workforce opportunity fund is repealed July 1, 2029. The bill provides that any moneys appropriated to the department of workforce development for purposes of the unemployment compensation reserve fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated as of July 1, 2024, but not more than $30 million, shall be deposited in the workforce opportunity fund. Additionally, the bill provides that any moneys remaining in the unemployment compensation reserve fund after such deposit shall be transferred to the account of this state in the unemployment trust fund; provided, however, that any interest earned on moneys remaining in the unemployment compensation reserve fund after the deposit are to be transferred to the special employment security contingency fund. DIVISION VI —— FUTURE READY IOWA SKILLED WORKFORCE LAST-DOLLAR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. Current law provides that eligible students may receive a future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship from the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship fund. The scholarship is intended to cover any remaining gap between federal and state grants or scholarships and tuition and certain fees. Under current law, only an eligible student participating in an eligible program, defined as a program of study or an academic major jointly approved by the college student aid commission and the department of workforce development, in consultation with an eligible institution, that leads to a credential aligned with a high-demand job designated by the workforce development board or a community college, may receive a future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship. The bill establishes that an eligible student may only receive a future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship if the student has an expected family contribution of less than or equal to $20,000, as determined by the free application for federal student aid. Current law provides that scholarships under the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program be awarded on an annual basis, and that eligible students must annually submit new applications to the college student aid commission. The bill provides that such scholarships be awarded for a two-year period, or at the time the student earns the credential sought, up to an associate degree, and that students need not annually reapply for the scholarship.