SB 822: Workforce development: Interagency High Road Act.

Existing law, the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, establishes the California Workforce Development Board as the body responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of Californias workforce investment system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce. Existing law requires the board to assist the Governor in promoting the development of a well-educated and highly skilled 21st century workforce, and the development of a high road economy that offers an educated and skilled workforce with fair compensation and treatment in the workplace. Existing law also requires the board to assist in developing standards, procedures, and criteria for high road employers, high road jobs, high road workforce development, and high road training partners, as specified. Existing law defines high road for these purposes to mean a set of economic and workforce development strategies to achieve economic growth, economic equity, shared prosperity, and a clean environment.

This bill would require the Department of Industrial Relations and the California Workforce Development Board, within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, to collectively be responsible for among other duties, creating high road evaluation metrics, consulting with stakeholders, and providing for meaningful public input on the development and evaluation of high road evaluation metrics. The bill would require the board to also assist in developing standards, procedures, and criteria for high road contracting and high road procurement, as specified. The bill would require, upon request by a state agency, the board to establish memorandums of understanding to incorporate high road evaluation metrics in the state agencys procurement processes, contracts, and incentive programs. The bill would make these provisions effective only until January 1, 2030, and repeal them as of that date.

This bill would also require specified state agencies, by January 1, 2025, to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the California Workforce Development Board to incorporate high road evaluation metrics in the state agencys procurement processes, contracts, and incentive programs. The bill would require these agreements to draw upon the experience of the California Workforce Development Board to ensure the state has the workforce and industry-based training partnerships necessary to meet its broadband, clean energy, and clean transportation goals, as specified. The bill would require these agreements to include advice and recommendations to ensure state agency policies and regulated programs create or support high-quality jobs in the broadband, energy, resources, and transportation sectors and expand access to those jobs for priority populations through high-quality education and training.