Voluntary Workforce Training Programs

1. Voluntary Workforce Training Programs New Opportunities for Texas Students

2. What are Voluntary Workforce Training Programs? • Established in 1999 by Texas Legislature (HB2401) • Intended to improve students’ work skills and help them prepare for postsecondary education • Also intended to encourage closer cooperation between education and business on behalf of students

3. Similar to work-based learning • Includes a postsecondary component • May include a trust fund arrangement to help fund postsecondary education • Employer agrees to provide paid employment for the participant during the junior and senior years of high school, and after the first year of postsecondary education • Requires certification by the state • Participants will be reflected in the AEIS system. • Agreement may be dissolved at any time

4. Program Requirements • Must integrate a secondary school academic curriculum with workplace training and a postsecondary curriculum • Students will be placed in job internships and assigned a mentor by employer • The employer/student arrangement is designed to continue into postsecondary educagtion and lead to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree

5. Program Requirements, continued • Program must meet recognized or accepted industry standards • Participants must be at least 16 • Program must have sponsor (district, business, local workforce development board) • Participants may not work more than 15 hours during the school week • No student may be required to participate

6. Certification Process Two forms required: • Application for Certified Voluntary Workforce Training Program • Certified Program Agreement

7. Certified Program Agreement • Similar to work-based training agreement • Agreement between student, school and business • Modified to include elements required under the new law • May include postsecondary agreement • Retained by student, business and sponsor; not sent to TEA

8. Postsecondary Agreements • The participant agrees to work for the employer for at least two years following postsecondary graduation • Employer and participant establish a trust fund • Participant agrees to pay half of their wages into the trust fund to be applied toward postsecondary education

9. Postsecondary Agreements, continued • Employer agrees to contribute a matching amount to the trust fund • Employer agrees to provide prevailing wage and other benefits • Participant agrees to reimburse employer if he/she does not fulfill agreement to work for employer for two years following postsecondary graduation

10. Postsecondary Agreements, continued • If the participant decides not to continue in the program before beginning postsecondary education, both student and employer are refunded their respective contributions plus interest earned • Agreement may be modified through mutual consent at any time.

11. Application for Certified Voluntary Workforce Training Program Programs require one-time certification by TEA and TWC: • One-page agreement between sponsor and employer, submitted to TEA • Sponsors will be asked to identify student participants to TEA so that results can be reported through AEIS

12. Summary • Similar to work-based training programs • Require certification by state • Require reporting of participants to state • May include a postsecondary agreement for students to work for employer after graduation • Postsecondary agreement includes a trust fund