A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish the NC Works program to place Community college Career coaches in high schools to build awareness of dual enrollment opportunities, to conduct academic and career advising with students, and to coordinate faculty and staff professional development activities.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 2 of Chapter 115D of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115D‑21.5.  NC Works Career Coach Program.
(a)	Purpose. – There is established the NC Works Career Coach Program to place community college career coaches in high schools to assist students with determining career goals and identifying community college programs that would enable students to achieve these goals.
(b)	Memorandum of Understanding. – The board of trustees of a community college and a local board of education of a local school administrative unit within the service area of the community college shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for the placement of career coaches employed by the board of trustees of the community college in schools within the local school administrative unit. At a minimum, the memorandum of understanding shall include the following:
(1)	Requirement that the community college provides the following:
a.	Hiring, training, and supervision of career coaches. The board of trustees may include a local board of education liaison on the hiring committee and in the decision‑making regarding hiring for the coach positions.
b.	Salary, benefits, and all other expenses related to the employment of the coach. The coach will be an employee of the board of trustees and will not be an agent or employee of the local board of education.
c.	Development of pedagogical materials and technologies needed to enhance the advising process.
d.	Criminal background checks required by the local school administrative unit for employees working directly with students.
e.	Agreement that, while on any school campus, the coach will obey all local board of education rules and will be subject to the authority of the school building administration.
(2)	Requirement that the local school administrative unit provides the following to the coach:
a.	Access to student records.
b.	Office space on‑site appropriate for student advising.
c.	Information technology resources, including, but not limited to, Internet access, telephone, and copying.
d.	Initial school orientation and ongoing integration into the faculty and staff community.
e.	Promotion of school‑wide awareness of coach duties.
f.	Facilitation of coach's access to individual classes and larger assemblies for the purposes of awareness‑building.
(c)	Application for NC Works Career Coach Program Funding. – The board of trustees of a community college and a local board of education of a local school administrative unit within the service area of the community college jointly may apply for available funds for NC Works Career Coach Program funding from the State Board of Community Colleges. The State Board of Community Colleges shall establish a process for award of funds as follows:
(1)	Advisory committee. – Establishment of an advisory committee, which shall include representatives from the NC Community College System, the Department of Public Instruction, and the NC Works initiative located in the Department of Commerce, to review applications and make recommendations for funding awards to the State Board.
(2)	Application submission requirements. – The State Board shall require at least the following:
a.	Evidence of a signed memorandum of understanding that meets, at a minimum, the requirements of this section.
b.	Evidence that the funding request will be matched dollar‑for‑dollar with local funds. Matching funds may come from public or private sources.
(3)	Awards criteria. – The State Board shall develop criteria for consideration in determining the award of funds that shall include the following:
a.	Consideration of the workforce needs of business and industry in the region.
b.	Targeting of resources to enhance ongoing economic activity within the community college service area and surrounding counties in tier two regions.
c.	Geographic diversity of awards.
(d)	Annual Report. –
(1)	The board of trustees of a community college that employees one or more career coaches shall report annually to the State Board of Community Colleges on implementation and outcomes of the program, including the following information:
a.	Number of career coaches employed.
b.	Number of local school administrative units served, and names of schools in which career coaches are placed.
c.	Number of students annually counselled by career coaches.
d.	Impact of career coaches on student choices, as determined by a valid measure selected by the State Board of Community Colleges.
(2)	The State Board of Community Colleges shall report annually no later than October 1 to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the following:
a.	A compilation of the information reported by the board of trustees of community colleges, as provided in subdivision (1) of this subsection.
b.	Number and names of partnership applicants for NC Works Career Coach Program funding.
c.	Number, names, and amounts of those awarded NC Works Career Coach Program funding."
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Community Colleges System Office the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the 2015‑2016 fiscal year and the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the 2016‑2017 fiscal year to match non‑State funds for the implementation of NC Works Career Coach Program. These funds shall only be used for salary and benefits for NC Works Career Coaches.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2015.