A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to phase in parity funding for community college Occupational Continuing Education courses to Enhance Economic Development.
Whereas, industry and job demands increasingly call for more sophisticated training to be taught in shorter amounts of time; and 
Whereas, as North Carolina's economy restructures, the skill demands of the future grow increasingly complex and technology‑based; and
Whereas, requirements by industry, as well as government programs such as TANF and the Workforce Investment Act, are pushing training providers to be responsive to training time demands that are more compressed, concentrated, and flexible than typically allowed through community college curriculum programs; and
Whereas, the need for short‑term training to meet the needs of a restructuring North Carolina economy are reflected in the initial goals recently laid out by the Workforce Development and Education Committee of the North Carolina Economic Development Board; and
Whereas, one of the four primary workforce development goals recently established is to expand flexible, nondegree based training programs to support economic development and respond to the needs of workers and employers; and
Whereas, the Board is currently looking for specific objective steps to accomplish this goal; and
Whereas, previous Economic Development Boards, as well as the North Carolina Workforce Development Commission have called for community college enhancements in short‑term training; and
Whereas, the key challenge for North Carolina community colleges is responding to the needs of a changing economy, is the cost of providing concentrated, short‑term technical skills training in the areas demanded by business and industry; and
Whereas, specifically, the recommendation is that starting in the 2003‑2005 biennium, the General Assembly appropriate occupational continuing education expansion funding in supplements of three million dollars ($3,000,000) per year; and
Whereas, in each of four biennia, the State Board would target highly strategic occupational continuing education course offerings for full parity funding in each biennium; and
Whereas, courses eligible for full funding would be those that train individuals in preparation for recognized certifications or licensures, in occupations of high priority for workforce development; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Community Colleges System Office the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) for the 2003‑2004 fiscal year and three million dollars ($3,000,000) for the 2004‑2005 fiscal year to be used for occupational continuing education. The State Board of Community Colleges shall use these funds to target highly strategic occupational continuing education course offerings for full parity funding. Courses eligible for full funding are those that train individuals in preparation for recognized certifications or licensures in occupations of high priority for workforce development in the following categories:
(1)	Telecommunication, information and biotechnology,
(2)	Safety, health, and emergency,
(3)	Trades and technical programs, and
(4)	Service, managerial, and professional.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.