General Provisions - - CA Unemployment Insurance

Section § 14000

This section emphasizes the importance of building a strong and competitive workforce in California. It outlines principles for the state's workforce investment system, focusing on adapting to the needs of employers, workers, and students. Programs should ensure workers are well-prepared for the global economy with industry-recognized skills and credentials. It stresses alignment of training with current job market demands and economic mobility. Collaboration among various educational and workforce entities is encouraged for effective resource alignment and strategy development. Programs must be data-driven, outcome-focused, and accessible, ensuring partnerships with industries of all sizes and addressing barriers to employment.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that, in order for California to remain prosperous and globally competitive, it needs to have a well-educated and highly skilled workforce.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares that the following principles shall guide the state’s workforce investment system:

(1) Workforce investment programs and services shall be responsive to the needs of employers, workers, and students by accomplishing the following:

(A) Preparing California’s students and workers with the skills necessary to successfully compete in the global economy.

(B) Producing greater numbers of individuals who obtain industry-recognized certificates and career-oriented degrees in competitive and emerging industry sectors and filling critical labor market skills gaps.

(C) Adapting to rapidly changing local and regional labor markets as specific workforce skill requirements change over time.

(D) Preparing workers for good-paying jobs that foster economic security and upward mobility.

(E) Aligning employment programs, resources, and planning efforts regionally around industry sectors that drive regional employment to connect services and training directly to jobs.

(2) State and local workforce development boards are encouraged to collaborate with other public and private institutions, including businesses, unions, nonprofit organizations, kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, career technical education programs, adult career technical education and basic skills programs, apprenticeships, community college career technical education and basic skills programs, entrepreneurship training programs, where appropriate, the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program, the Employment Training Panel, and county-based social and employment services, to better align resources across workforce, training, education, and social service delivery systems and build a well-articulated workforce investment system by accomplishing the following:

(A) Adopting local and regional training and education strategies which include workplace-based earn and learn programs that build on the strengths and fill the gaps in the education and workforce development pipeline in order to address the needs of job seekers, workers, and employers within regional labor markets by supporting sector strategies.

(B) Leveraging resources across education and workforce training delivery systems to build career pathways and fill critical skills gaps.

(3) Workforce investment programs and services shall be data driven and evidence based when setting priorities, investing resources, and adopting practices.

(4) Workforce investment programs and services shall develop strong partnerships with the private sector, ensuring industry involvement in needs assessment, planning, and program evaluation.

(A) Workforce investment programs and services shall encourage industry involvement by developing strong partnerships with an industry’s employers and the unions that represent the industry’s workers.

(B) Workforce investment programs and services may consider the needs of employers and businesses of all sizes, including large, medium, small, and microenterprises, when setting priorities, investing resources, and adopting practices.

(5) Workforce investment programs and services shall be outcome oriented and accountable, measuring results for program participants, including, but not limited to, outcomes related to program completion, employment, and earnings.

(6) Programs and services shall be accessible to employers, the self-employed, workers, and students who may benefit from their operation, including individuals with employment barriers, such as persons with economic, physical, or other barriers to employment.

workforce investment skills development industry-recognized certificates labor market alignment economic security regional employment sectors training programs public and private collaboration career pathways employment barriers outcome-oriented programs sector strategies data-driven programs industry partnerships employment outcomes

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 507, Sec. 1.5. (SB 342) Effective January 1, 2016. See conditional termination clause in Section 14007.)

Section § 14002

This section of the law emphasizes the importance of screening for unidentified disabilities, like learning disabilities, to improve workforce readiness and make the most of job training resources. The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act allows funds to be used for evaluating people's skills and needs, which can include testing and other tools to spot employment challenges and set career goals.

The law encourages career centers to fully utilize these resources in identifying any hidden disabilities and, if needed, conduct further detailed assessments.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that screening designed to detect unidentified disabilities, including learning disabilities, improves workforce preparation and enhances the use of employment and training resources.

(b) Section 134(c)(2) of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. Sec. 3174(c)(2)) allows for the use of funds for initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and support services, including, when appropriate, comprehensive and specialized assessments of skill levels and service needs, including, but not limited to, diagnostic testing and the use of other assessment tools and in-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals.

(c) The Legislature encourages one-stop career centers to maximize the use of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act resources and other federal and state workforce development resources for screening designed to detect unidentified disabilities, and if indicated, appropriate diagnostic assessment.

unidentified disabilities learning disabilities workforce preparation employment barriers career centers diagnostic assessment screening employment goals skill assessments support services comprehensive assessments Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act federal resources state workforce development workforce readiness

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 94, Sec. 5. (AB 1270) Effective January 1, 2016. See conditional termination clause in Section 14007.)

Section § 14003

Organizations that are run by or heavily associated with religious entities cannot receive federal or state workforce development grants or contracts.

These grants must also respect constitutional provisions and civil rights laws, ensuring no discrimination occurs against beneficiaries or employees based on their religious or other protected statuses. Additionally, the grants cannot be used to promote religious beliefs.

(a) Grants or contracts awarded under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, codified in Chapter 32 (commencing with Section 3101) of Title 29 of the United States Code, or any other state or federally funded workforce development program, may not be awarded to organizations that are owned or operated as pervasively sectarian organizations.

(b) Grants or contracts awarded under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, codified in Chapter 32 (commencing with Section 3101) of Title 29 of the United States Code, or any other state or federally funded workforce development program, shall comply with Section 4 of Article I and Section 5 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, state and federal civil rights laws, and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution in regard to pervasively sectarian organizations. These legal constraints include prohibitions on the discrimination against beneficiaries and staff based on protected categories and on the promoting of religious doctrine to advance sectarian beliefs.

workforce development grants sectarian organizations religious entities federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act state funded programs constitutional provisions civil rights laws non-discrimination protected categories promoting religious doctrine religious beliefs beneficiaries rights staff rights federal and state funding restrictions California Constitution compliance

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 94, Sec. 6. (AB 1270) Effective January 1, 2016. See conditional termination clause in Section 14007.)

Section § 14004

Organizations wanting state or federal workforce development funds through California's Community and Faith Based Initiative need to be a separate nonprofit entity. They must also have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

To be eligible for state or federal workforce development funds awarded by the state under the California Community and Faith Based Initiative, an organization must be a separate nonprofit entity or affiliate that is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

workforce development funds California Community and Faith Based Initiative nonprofit entity tax-exempt organization 501(c)(3) status state funds eligibility federal funds eligibility nonprofit requirements community initiatives faith-based organizations tax-exemption eligibility criteria funding requirements workforce programs nonprofit funding eligibility

(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 225, Sec. 23.1. Effective August 11, 2003. See conditional termination clause in Section 14007.)

Section § 14004.5

This section establishes the Consolidated Work Program Fund in California's State Treasury, which collects money under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Employment Development Department manages it. Use of the fund requires approval from the state legislature and must align with both federal and state workforce development plans.

The Consolidated Work Program Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury, for the receipt of all moneys deposited pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Employment Development Department shall be the entity responsible for administering this section. Moneys in the fund shall be made available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department, for expenditure consistent with the purposes of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the State Plan required by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Consolidated Work Program Fund Employment Development Department State Treasury fund administration appropriation by Legislature federal workforce development state workforce plan workforce funding California workforce program

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 94, Sec. 7. (AB 1270) Effective January 1, 2016. See conditional termination clause in Section 14007.)