1. The Governors Office of Workforce Innovation shall establish and administer a Career Pathways Demonstration Program to develop and implement career pathways that will enable students to prepare for employment in professions which serve the long-term needs of this State. The Office shall identify not more than three priority industries, including, without limitation, K-12 education, for the development and implementation of career pathways as part of the Program. 2. In implementing the Program, the Office shall: (a) Establish clear, measurable objectives for the outcomes of the Program which are aligned with the State Plan for Economic Development developed by the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development within the Office of the Governor pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 231.053 , including, without limitation, targets based on reliable data concerning: (1) The number of persons entering the career pathway; (2) The number and percentage of persons completing distinct phases of the career pathway, as marked by earning course credit or a credential, certificate or other recognized documentation showing progression in the career pathway; (3) The number and percentage of participants in a career pathway who obtain high-quality employment in the target industry; and (4) The number and percentage of participants in a career pathway employed for at least 2 years in the target industry. (b) Rely on economic and workforce development data to inform decision-making, including, without limitation: (1) Estimates of the number of high-quality jobs that will be required in this State in the next 5 to 10 years; (2) Projected workforce capacity in relation to the estimates pursuant to subparagraph (1); (3) The number and capacity of existing industry-aligned career pathway programs; (4) Enrollment, participation and completion rates for industry-aligned career pathway programs; (5) Credentialing rates or other industry-aligned indicators of workforce readiness; (6) Industry-aligned, skill-based employee retention rates; (7) The demographic information of the participants in the Program, including, without limitation, race, gender and enrollment at a Title I school; and (8) Other relevant data available through the statewide longitudinal data system maintained by the Executive Director of the Office pursuant to NRS 232.975 . (c) Collaborate with school districts, the Nevada System of Higher Education, regional development authorities and representatives from priority industries. (d) Establish criteria for evaluating the performance of career pathway projects and the entities that assist in the development and implementation of career pathway projects, including, without limitation, the Department of Education, school districts, the Nevada System of Higher Education, regional development authorities and representatives from priority industries. 3. The Office shall develop and implement a competitive process to select proposals for career pathway projects. Each proposal for a career pathway project selected by the Office must incorporate best practices for career pathway design and address, without limitation: (a) The types of high-quality jobs which the career pathway project will prepare students for, based on a definition of high-quality job which shall be developed and promulgated by the Office. (b) The educational opportunities that the project will offer to K-12 pupils and students of the Nevada System of Higher Education which may include, without limitation: (1) Early exposure to career options for pupils in elementary, junior high or middle school; (2) Multiple entry points into the career pathway; (3) Meaningful, practice-based learning opportunities aligned to the career pathway and the workforce priorities within the target industry, including, without limitation, paid work-based learning opportunities; (4) Opportunities for students to receive credentials aligned to the skills and experience needed for employment in the target industry; and (5) Work-based learning opportunities that may be eligible for exemption from federal laws and regulations from which exemptions are available for work-based learning programs for pupils. (c) The practices that will be implemented to recruit students for the career pathway, including, without limitation, practices that will foster equity and the inclusion in the career pathway of students from historically underserved communities. (d) The types of early career guidance, incentives and support that will be offered to participants in the career pathway, which may include, without limitation: (1) Employment opportunities for students who participate in the career pathway, including, without limitation, employer commitments to recruiting students who successfully obtain the qualifications for employment through the career pathway; (2) Professional support and development opportunities for participants early in their career in the target industry, including, without limitation, mentoring; and (3) Financial incentives which eliminate or substantially reduce financial barriers to entry into professions in the target industry. (e) The roles and responsibilities of the persons necessary to develop and implement the career pathway, which may include, without limitation: (1) Program staff; (2) School districts and the Nevada System of Higher Education; (3) Regional development authorities; and (4) Representatives from the target industries. (f) The financial plan for the career pathway project, including, without limitation: (1) The projected 5-year budget for the career pathway project; (2) Existing funding sources for the career pathway project and the amount of funding that the person submitting the proposal will allocate to the project; (3) Anticipated funding sources for the career pathway project; and (4) Any additional funding necessary to implement the career pathway project which is not addressed by the existing funding sources. (g) The goals and anticipated outcomes of the career pathway project, including, without limitation: (1) The target number of total participants in the career pathway project; (2) The target number of participants who will successfully complete each stage of the career pathway, as marked by earning course credit or a credential, certificate or other recognized documentation showing progression in the career pathway; and (3) The target number of participants who will complete the career pathway, regardless of their entry point into the career pathway. 4. The Office may enter into an agreement with the Department of Education to administer the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program offered pursuant to NRS 388.223 . Such an agreement may require the Department of Education to administer any local, state or federal funding appropriated or otherwise available to implement the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program. 5. As used in this section, career pathway means a series of structured and connected educational opportunities designed to help a person enter or advance within a given occupation or industry sector.
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