H97 - 2015 Appropriations Act, Sec. 10.14: NC Works Career Coaches (SL 2015-241)

Overview: Sec. 10.14 of S.L. 2015-241 establishes the NC Works Career Coach Program (Program). The purpose of the Program is to place community college career coaches in high schools to aid students in determining career goals and to help students identify community college programs that enable them to achieve their goals. In order to participate in the Program, a community college and local school administrative unit (LEA) must enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for placement of career coaches.

The MOU must require the community college to provide:

• The hiring, training, and supervision of career coaches.
• The salary, benefits, and overall expenses of the career coach.
• The development of pedagogy and technologies needed to enhance the advising process.
• Criminal background checks on employees working directly with students.
• An agreement that, while on any LEA campus, the career coaches will obey all local board of education rules and be subject to the authority of the school building administration.

The MOU must require the LEA to provide:

• Access to student records to carry out the career coach's responsibilities.
• Office space, as appropriate for student advising.
• Information technology resources (telephone, Internet, copying).
• School orientation and integration into the staff community.
• Promotion of school-wide awareness of coach duties.
• Facilitation of the coach's access to individual classes and assemblies.

The board of trustees of the community college and the LEA within the service area of the community college may jointly apply for funding for the Program from the State Board of Community Colleges (SBCC). The SBCC must establish an advisory committee with members from the Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina Community College System, the Department of Commerce, and the business community to review applications and make recommendations for funding to the SBCC. In applications for Program funding, the SBCC must require evidence of signed MOU that meets the requirements of this section and evidence that the funding request will be matched dollar-for-dollar with local funds. The SBCC must develop criteria for consideration in determining the award of funds that include: (i) the consideration of workforce needs of business and industry in the region; (ii) targeting resources to enhance the community college service area and surrounding counties; and (iii) the geographic diversity of awards.

The boards of trustees of community colleges that employ one or more career coaches must report annually to the SBCC on the implementation of the Program as follows:

• Number of career coaches employed.
• Number of LEAs served, and the names of the schools in which they are placed.
• Number of students counseled annually by the career coaches.
• Impact of career coaches on student choices, as determined by a valid measure selected by the SBCC.

The SBCC must report annually by October 1, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the following:

• A compilation of the report submitted annually to the SBCC from the boards of trustees of community colleges that employ career coaches.
• Number and names of partnership applicants for Program funding.
• Number, names, and amounts of those awarded Program funding.

The SBCC must begin accepting applications for funding for the Program by December 15, 2015, and must select initial recipients for the award of funds by February 22, 2016. Funds appropriated to the community college office for the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium must only be used for salary and benefits of career coaches.

This section became effective July 1, 2015.