Sec. 10-20a. Connecticut career certificate program.
Sec. 10-20a. Connecticut career certificate program. (a) Local and regional
boards of education, the regional vocational-technical school system, postsecondary
institutions and regional educational service centers, may (1) in consultation with regional workforce development boards established pursuant to section 31-3k, local employers, labor organizations and community-based organizations establish career pathway programs leading to a Connecticut career certificate in accordance with this section,
and (2) enroll students in such programs based on entry criteria determined by the establishing agency. Such programs shall be approved by the Commissioner of Education
and the Labor Commissioner. Applications for program approval shall be submitted to
the Commissioner of Education in such form and at such time as the commissioner
prescribes. All programs leading to a Connecticut career certificate shall provide equal
access for all students and necessary accommodations and support for students with
disabilities.
(b) Programs established pursuant to this section may be offered for one or more
years and shall include:
(1) Not less than eighty hours during any year of school-based instruction which
focuses on the academic, technical and employability skills outlined in the skill standards
established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, workplace safety awareness and
instruction in the history of the American economy and the role of labor, business and
industry;
(2) Work-based instruction which includes worksite experience, including all major
activities related to the career cluster. Such worksite experience shall: (A) Be paid,
except as provided in section 10-20b, (B) include a planned program of job training and
work experiences, including training related to preemployment and employment skills
to be mastered at progressively higher levels, that are coordinated with school-based
instruction, (C) include instruction, to the extent practicable, in all aspects of the industry,
(D) relate to the academic, technical and employability skills outlined in the skill standards established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, (E) include, but not be limited
to, on-the-job training, internships, community service and field trips, (F) be conducted
in accordance with an individualized written training and mentoring plan, agreed to by
the student, his parent or guardian, if the student is under eighteen years of age, the
principal of the school or the chief executive officer of the agency operating the program
in which the student is enrolled, or the designee of such principal or chief executive
officer, and the employer, and (G) be in conformance with the requirements of section
10-20d; and
(3) Activities that ensure coordination between school-based instruction and work-based instruction, including, but not limited to, (A) career awareness and exploration
opportunities, and (B) information and guidance concerning transition to postsecondary
education.
(c) For purposes of this section, "career cluster" means a range of occupations which
share a set of skills and knowledge organized under the federal career clusters endorsed
by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education under the United States Department
of Education. Such skills and knowledge include (1) academic and technical skills related to the type of employment and (2) general employability skills. The Commissioner
of Education, in consultation with other state, regional and local agencies, business and
industry and labor organizations, shall maintain a list of federally recognized career
clusters and skill standards for each such career cluster, along with the projected occupation growth area clusters within the state identified by labor market projections provided
by the Labor Department.
(P.A. 94-116, S. 21, 28; P.A. 97-195, S. 1, 5; P.A. 07-20, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 94-116 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 97-195 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provisions as
Subdiv. (1), provide for the establishment of programs by postsecondary institutions, add the consultation role for regional
workforce development boards, change the review and comment provision prior to approval by the commissioners by
substituting regional school-to-career partnership for regional workforce development board, provide that students be
enrolled based on entry criteria determined by the establishing agency, and add Subdiv. (2) re the regional school-to-career
partnerships; amended Subsec. (b) in Subdiv. (1) to substitute school-based instruction for subject matter instruction and
to add instruction in the history of the American economy and the role of labor, business and industry, in Subdiv. (2) to
delete a requirement for not less than 180 hours of worksite experience, to redesignate existing Subparas. (B) and (C) as
Subparas. (F) and (G), to add new Subparas. (B) to (E), inclusive, to change the provision for approval of the training and
mentoring plan to include the parent or guardian, if the student is under 18 years of age, and the chief executive officer of
the agency operating the program, and in Subdiv. (3) to expand the requirement for coordination to include career awareness
and exploration opportunities and information and guidance concerning transition to postsecondary education; deleted
Subsec. (c) re entry criteria; redesignated Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (c) and changed the description of the items included in
skills and knowledge and made technical changes, effective June 24, 1997; P.A. 07-20 amended Subsec. (a) to designate
programs leading to certificate as career pathway programs, delete provision re review and comment by the partnership,
delete former Subdiv. (2) re partnerships, delete former Subdiv. (1) designator and redesignate existing Subparas. (A) and
(B) as Subdivs. (1) and (2), amended Subsec. (b)(1) to add reference to workplace safety awareness and amended Subsec.
(c) to require career clusters to be organized under federal career clusters and the maintenance of lists re projected occupation
growth area clusters, effective July 1, 2007.