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An Act To Attract, Educate and Retain New State Residents To Strengthen the Workforce
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §8614  is enacted to read:
§ 8614. Welcome Center Initiative
The Welcome Center Initiative, referred to in this section as "the initiative," is established and administered by the department's office of adult education and family literacy, referred to in this section as "the office."
 
1.  Welcome centers.     The initiative operates through a welcome center created within the adult education program of participating school administrative units in municipalities or regions in the State that have immigrant populations or that have industries that are experiencing a shortage of trained workers. A welcome center educates and provides vocational training for foreign-trained workers, including foreign-trained professionals, and matches those workers with employers in the State, focusing on employers in industries that are experiencing a shortage of trained workers.
 
2.  Coordinator.     Each welcome center under subsection 1 must employ a full-time coordinator. The coordinator shall:
 
A.  Administer the center;
 
B.  Collaborate and work in conjunction with the department including the office to carry out the purposes of this section, including developing a program or series of programs designed to serve the needs of initiative participants; and
 
C.  Secure additional funding from public and private sources, including donations, grants or public-private partnerships, to provide ongoing funding of the welcome center.
 
3.  Functions of a welcome center.     The functions of a welcome center under subsection 1 include:
 
A.  Providing services and training to prepare initiative participants for entry into gainful employment in the State within 6 to 18 months of the beginning of services or training;
 
B.  Providing education and career planning case management;
 
C.  Providing English language acquisition instruction;
 
D.  Creating partnerships with employers in the State that may employ initiative participants;
 
E.  Identifying employment skills, academic skills and English language skills needed for available positions with employers in the State in general or with employers in paragraph D;
 
F.  Collaborating with state and local organizations that provide employment and workforce services and support;
 
G.  Referring initiative participants to legal aid services; and
 
H.  Collecting and analyzing data about the initiative participants.
 
4.  Rules.     The department may adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of this section, including the placement of a welcome center under subsection 1.
Sec. 2. Department of Education to establish a welcome center in the City of Lewiston under the Welcome Center Initiative. The Department of Education shall establish a welcome center within the City of Lewiston adult education program pursuant to the Welcome Center Initiative under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 8614.
Sec. 3. Vocation-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program. A vocation-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program for immigrants in the State, referred to in this section as "the program," is established.
1. Program requirements. The Department of Education's office of adult education and family literacy, referred to in this section as "the office," shall administer a 2-year program. The program must prepare immigrants for identified workforce needs of employers in the State to accelerate entry into livable wage employment and enhance employer retention of the immigrants by combining vocation-specific English language acquisition with training in the specific vocational areas required by the employers. Training classes must be conducted at a participating employer's workplace pursuant to a grant process under subsection 2.
2. Training grants. The office shall establish a statewide competitive grant process to carry out the purposes of subsection 1. The amount of a grant under this subsection is determined by the office based upon the needs of the area to be served and the availability of funding. The office shall consider grants to cover all areas of the State with emphasis on areas with large immigrant populations or where there is a need for skilled workers that training under this section may provide. A proposal for a grant under this subsection must include:
A. Intensive vocation-specific English language and vocabulary classes;
B. Intensive workforce training classes that include soft skills and acquaint immigrants with the culture of the workplace in the State. For purposes of this paragraph, "soft skills" means those basic skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment, such as interviewing and communications skills;
C. Interviewing immigrant participants and identifying the education level, English language ability, skill set, work experience, qualifications and credentials of each immigrant participant;
D. Collaboration with participating employers to:
(1) Identify the employers' specific workforce needs;
(2) Identify skills needed for positions required by the employers;
(3) Receive input from the employers for the design of the training, including information on required English language proficiency, workplace culture, on-site space or other vocational training elements such as tools, manuals or site tours; and
(4) Ensure that the employers provide the time and space to offer training classes on-site at the employers' workplaces;
E. One or more training courses to prepare the immigrant participants as potential workers to enter into and retain livable wage employment within 6 to 18 months of the beginning of the training; and
F. Collection and reporting of data including outcomes of employment and job retention.
The office shall give special consideration to proposals for grants under this subsection that provide incentives for immigrants to participate in the training, such as agreements with employers to pay an employee the employee's hourly rate to attend the training.
3. Criteria for applicants. An applicant for a training grant under subsection 2 must have demonstrated expertise and experience in the following:
A. Providing English language acquisition training, including the administration of appropriate academic and vocational assessments and research-based instructional approaches appropriate for English language learners;
B. Working with employers to develop relevant employee training; and
C. Working with partners in the state workforce and state agencies with expertise in serving and preparing immigrants for employment through a case management approach.
4. Rules. The office shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of this section.
5. Report. The office shall prepare a report on the training that includes:
A. The number and amount of grants awarded under this section;
B. The training and services provided by the grant recipients;
C. Aggregate demographic information about immigrant participants in the training, participating employers, employment opportunities, employment placements and retention by employers of immigrant participants placed under this section; and
D. An evaluation of programs and services most effective in carrying out the purposes of this section.
 
By November 4, 2021, the office shall submit the report along with any recommended legislation to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs. The joint standing committee may report out a bill based upon the report to the 130th Legislature.
Sec. 4. Local community planning support program. The Department of Education's office of adult education and family literacy, referred to in this section as "the office," shall establish a local community planning support program, referred to in this section as "the program."
1. Local community planning support program. The office shall implement a 2-year program to assist communities within the State to manage new immigrant populations that have settled in the communities or to attract immigrant populations to address depopulation or workforce shortages in the communities.
2. Program elements. The office shall establish by rule the elements of the program. The program must provide a planning process for communities to provide English language acquisition and training in vocational skills, identify employers or areas that would benefit from immigrant residency or employment and cultivate community support to integrate immigrants into the communities and local workforce.
3. Funding. The office shall consider applications from governmental entities located in or containing communities that are affected by or wish to attract immigrant populations and provide grants to those communities in a number and amount determined by available funding. An application for funding under this subsection may be made by one governmental entity or a combination of 2 or more governmental entities and may include a partnership by the governmental entity with a private or nonprofit organization. For purposes of this subsection, "governmental entity" includes a county, municipality or school administrative unit.
4. Rules. The office shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of this section.
5. Report. The office shall prepare a report on the program that includes every governmental entity receiving a grant, the amount of the grant and an evaluation of the outcomes and effectiveness of the grant on the target communities. By December 5, 2020, the department shall submit the report along with any recommended legislation to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs. The joint standing committee may report out a bill based upon the report to the 130th Legislature.
Sec. 5. Department of Education to provide grants for English language acquisition instruction for adult education programs. The Department of Education's office of adult education and family literacy shall develop and implement a grant process to provide funding on a competitive basis to adult education programs in communities experiencing an increase in immigrant populations or demand to reduce the waiting list for English language acquisition classes and to increase the level of English language acquisition instruction offered as needed by the communities applying for the grants. The department shall award grants under this section to eligible communities in a number and amount determined by available funding. The department shall adopt routine technical rules as defined by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of this section.
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Adult Education 0364
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds for expansion of the Welcome Center Initiative within the City of Lewiston's adult education program to attract, educate and retain foreign-trained workers residing in Androscoggin County.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$150,000	$150,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$150,000	$150,000	

Adult Education 0364
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds for the New Mainers Resource Center within the City of Portland's adult education program to assist foreign-trained professionals.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$150,000	$150,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$150,000	$150,000	

Adult Education 0364
 
Initiative: Provides one-time funds for grants for proposed welcome centers.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$50,000	$50,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$50,000	$50,000	

Adult Education 0364
 
Initiative: Provides funds for grants to adult education programs to increase English language acquisition instruction in communities experiencing an increase in immigrant populations or demand, which will serve 800 participants in both fiscal years of the biennium.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$600,000	$600,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$600,000	$600,000	

Local Community Planning Support Program N256
 
Initiative: Provides funds in fiscal year 2019-20 and fiscal year 2020-21 for counties, municipalities and school administrative units to manage new immigrant populations who have settled within the counties, municipalities and school administrative units or to attract immigrant populations to address depopulation or workforce shortages within the counties, municipalities and school administrative units.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$150,000	$150,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$150,000	$150,000	

Vocation-specific English Language Acquisition and Workforce Training Program N255
 
Initiative: Provides funds in fiscal year 2019-20 and fiscal year 2020-21 for grants to service providers to provide English language instruction and vocational training and to place immigrant populations in the State with employers in the State. The grants will serve 500 participants in each fiscal year.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$400,000	$400,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$400,000	$400,000	

EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF			
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2019-20	2020-21	
			
GENERAL FUND	$1,500,000	$1,500,000	
			
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$1,500,000	$1,500,000	

SUMMARY
This bill creates various programs to provide education, services and training for the State's workforce immigrant populations in the following ways:
1. It establishes the Welcome Center Initiative to operate welcome centers in adult education programs to provide education, services and training for foreign-trained workers in municipalities or regions of the State that have immigrant populations or that have industries that are experiencing a shortage of trained workers, patterned after the New Mainers Resource Center operated by the City of Portland adult education program through a pilot program created by the 126th Legislature. The bill provides funds for grants for proposed welcome centers;
2. It directs the Department of Education's office of adult education and family literacy to:
A. Administer a vocation-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program for immigrants in the State and establish a statewide competitive grant process to carry out the purposes of the program;
B. Establish and implement a local community planning support program to provide a planning process for communities to provide English language acquisition and training in vocational skills, identify employers or areas that would benefit from immigrant residency or employment and cultivate community support to integrate immigrants into the communities and local workforce. The office must establish a grant process to carry out the purposes of the program; and
C. Develop and implement a grant process to award grants to adult education programs to increase English language acquisition instruction.
The bill provides funding for the vocation-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program, the local community planning support program and grants to increase English language acquisition instruction; and
3. It directs the Department of Education to establish a welcome center under the Welcome Center Initiative within the City of Lewiston's adult education program to attract, educate and retain in employment foreign-trained workers, patterned after the New Mainers Resource Center in Portland, and provides funding for that purpose. It also provides ongoing funding for the New Mainers Resource Center in Portland.