STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM W. SPEARMAN
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman NICHOLAS CHIARAVALLOTI
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Calabrese
SYNOPSIS
New Jersey Works Act Permits businesses to create pre-employment training programs in partnership with nonprofit organizations or educational institutions; provides tax credit to businesses that provide financial assistance to pre-employment training programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning pre-employment training programs, and supplementing P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-1 et seq.), P.L.1945, c.162 (C.54:10A-1 et seq.), and Title 54A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the New Jersey Works Act.
2. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
Assistance means the contribution of moneys to aid in the provision of a pre-employment and work readiness training program established by a business entity in partnership with an institution of higher education or a comprehensive high school or county vocational school or nonprofit organization.
Business entity means any corporation, company, association, society, firm, partnership, joint stock company, sole proprietorship, limited liability entity or individual which is authorized to conduct or operate a trade or business in the State.
Commission means the State Employment and Training Commission established pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-2).
Comprehensive high school means a public or non-public high school located in the State that may grant a State-endorsed diploma to students and offers vocational education.
Department means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Director means the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury.
Institution of higher education means any public or independent four-year institution of higher education or a county college
Low income household means a household whose gross household income is less than 50 percent of the median gross household income for the region in which the business entity is located for households of similar size as determined by the department.
Moderate income household means a household whose gross household income is greater than or equal to 50 percent but less than 80 percent of the median gross household income of the region in which the business entity is located for households of similar size as determined by the department.
Nonprofit organization means a private nonprofit corporation that has been determined by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States Department of the Treasury to be exempt from income taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. s.501(c)(3).
Partnership means an agreement between one or more business entities and one or more institutions of higher education, comprehensive high schools, county vocational schools, or nonprofit organizations to establish a pre-employment and work readiness training program.
3. a. One or more institutions of higher education, comprehensive high schools, county vocational schools, or nonprofit organizations may enter into a partnership with a business entity to establish a pre-employment and work readiness training program. The purpose of the program shall be to recruit, prepare, and educate individuals for entry-level jobs with long-term career potential through paid training programs. The program shall target for recruitment low- and moderate-income households and current workers in need of skills development. A business entity that enters into a partnership may provide assistance for a pre-employment and work readiness training program that has been approved by the commission pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and may receive a credit for such assistance pursuant to sections 4 and 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. Each pre-employment and work readiness training program shall offer no less than 12 weeks of paid training for each participant, and include, but not be limited to training and instruction in the following areas: basic math and English literacy, communication skills, critical thinking, leadership, life skills and job readiness skills training such as conflict management, finance concepts, resume preparation, problem solving, self-awareness and management, and any other requirement deemed necessary by the commission. Each pre-employment and work readiness training program participant shall be paid the minimum wage pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1966, c.113 (C.34:11-56a4) or any order issued by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development pursuant to that act.
c. Each trainee shall be a minimum of 16 years old, and no institution of higher education or nonprofit organization shall determine a trainee s eligibility for participation in a training program based on the trainee s possession of a high school diploma or any high school equivalency. Following the successful completion of a pre-employment and work readiness training program, each program shall offer trainees: (1) college credits for all applicable course work of the program provided through an institution of higher education, comprehensive high school, or county vocational school; or (2) employment provided through a business entity which has provided funding for a qualified pre-employment and work readiness training program, or both.
d. Each institution of higher education or nonprofit organization shall submit to the commission the following information three months, six months, and nine months following the close of the training program: the number of participants who successfully completed the training program and the number of participants currently employed by a business entity, including each participant s job title and salary.
4. a. An institution of higher education, comprehensive high school, county vocational school, or nonprofit organization which is the recipient of funding provided by the business entity shall submit a pre-employment training plan to the commission for approval. Two or more institutions of higher education, comprehensive high schools, county vocational schools, or nonprofit organizations may submit a plan to the commission jointly. Any plan submitted by two or more institutions of higher education, comprehensive high schools, vocational schools, or nonprofit organizations shall designate one institution of higher education, comprehensive high school, vocational school, or nonprofit organization as the lead organization with resp