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(1) There is created the Utah Works Program.
(2) The program, under the direction of the talent subcommittee, shall coordinate and partner with the entities described below to develop short-term pre-employment training and short-term early employment training for student and workforce participants that meet the needs of businesses that are creating jobs and economic growth in the state by:
(a) partnering with the office, the Department of Workforce Services, and the Utah system of higher education;
(b) partnering with businesses that have significant hiring demands for primarily newly created jobs in the state;
(c) coordinating with the Department of Workforce Services, education agencies, and employers to create effective recruitment initiatives to attract student and workforce participants and business participants to the program;
(d) coordinating with the Utah system of higher education to develop educational and training resources to provide student participants in the program qualifications to be hired by business participants in the program; and
(e) coordinating with the State Board of Education and local education agencies when appropriate to develop educational and training resources to provide student participants in the program qualifications to be hired by business participants in the program.
(3)
(a) Subject to appropriation, the office, in consultation with the talent subcommittee, may respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by directing financial grants to institutions of higher education described in Section 53B-2-101 to offer short-term programs to:
(i) provide training to furloughed, laid off, dislocated, underserved, or other populations affected by COVID-19 to fill employment gaps in the state;
(ii) provide training and education related to industry needs; and
(iii) provide students with certificates or other recognition after completion of training.
(b) The office shall include the following information in the annual written report described in Section 63N-1-301:
(i) the process by which the office determines which institutions of higher education shall receive financial grants; and
(ii) the formula for awarding financial grants.
(c) An institution of higher education that receives grant funds under this Subsection (3):
(i) may use grant funds for:
(A) costs associated with developing a new program; or
(B) costs associated with expanding an existing program; and
(ii) shall demonstrate industry needs and opportunities for partnership with industry.
(d) The office shall award grant funds on a rolling basis, until the earlier of funds being exhausted or June 30, 2022.
(e) The office shall conduct outreach, including education about career guidance, training, and workforce programs, to the targeted populations.
(4) The office, in consultation with the talent subcommittee, may, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, and in accordance with the provisions of this section, make rules regarding the development and administration of the Utah Works Program.
(5) The Utah Works Program shall report the following metrics to the office for inclusion in the office's annual report described in Section 63N-1a-306:
(a) the number of participants in the program;
(b) how program participants learned about or were referred to the program, including the number of participants who learned about or were referred to the program by:
(i) the Department of Workforce Services;
(ii) marketing efforts of the office or talent subcommittee;
(iii) a school counselor; and
(iv) other methods;
(c) the number of participants who have completed training offered by the program; and
(d) the number of participants who have been hired by a business participating in the program.