Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Increasing Technology Skills Act of 2014”.
Increasing Technology Skills Act of 2014
A BILL
To establish a fund consisting of donations from private industry to provide financial support for unemployed individuals to obtain information technology certifications.
Sec. 2 Establishment of fund
Establishment— There is established in the Department of Labor a fund to be known as the Information Technology Certification Fund (referred to in this Act as the “Fund”).
Deposits— The Fund shall consist of amounts donated by any person, partnership, or corporation, including nonprofit organizations and foundations that pledges to continue to donate a consistent amount for a minimum of three consecutive years.
Administration and use of funds— The Fund shall be administered by the Secretary of Labor and used to carry out the grant program established under section 4.
Sec. 3 Employers hiring individuals completing the information technology certification program eligible for work opportunity credit
In general— Section 51(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking “or” at the end of subparagraph (H), by the striking the period at the end of subparagraph (I) and inserting “, or”, and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(J) a certified information technology certification program graduate.”
Certified information technology certification program graduate— Section 51(d) is amended by redesignating paragraphs (11), (12), (13), and (14) as paragraphs (12), (13), (14), and (15), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph (10) the following new paragraph:
“(11) Certified information technology certification program graduate—The term certified information technology certification program graduate means any individual who has been awarded a certificate of completion under section 5(f) of the Increasing Technology Skills Act of 2014 for completing the information technology certification program established under such Act during the 1-year period ending on the hiring date.”
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply to individuals who begin work with the employer after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 4 Grants to States
In general— From funds available in the Fund established by section 2, the Secretary of Labor shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to States through the State boards.
Application— To receive a grant under this section, a State board shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time and containing such information as the Secretary shall determine.
Use of funds— A State board shall use grant funds to provide financial support to qualified individuals for participation in an information technology certification program, in accordance with section 5.
Sec. 5 Financial support for information technology certification
Identification of programs and public awareness— Each State receiving a grant under section 4 shall—
identify information technology certification programs within the State and the requirements necessary for a qualified individual to participate in each program;
disseminate information, through one-stop centers and by other means, regarding such certification programs and the availability of financial support from the grant funds to enable qualified individuals to participate in such programs; and
assist qualified individuals in determining which information technology certification program such individual is most qualified for and best meets the goals of such individual.
Application of qualified individuals— A qualified individual seeking to participate in an information technology certification program and receive financial support shall submit an application to a local one-stop center containing such information as the State Board shall determine.
Selection— Qualified individuals shall be selected by the local one-centers, in conjunction with local chambers of commerce where appropriate, for participation based on their overall qualification for the certification programs taking into consideration their experience, skills, and competency, including high school level or better competency in typing, math, reading, and writing.
Eligible expenses— Financial support may be provided to pay for the costs to the qualified individual of preparatory classes, study materials, and examination expenses for the information technology certification program.
One-Time participation— Qualified individuals selected to receive financial support under this section may only participate once. Such participation consists of a single information technology certification, regardless of whether the individual obtains the certification. Such certification may consist of multiple preparatory classes and multiple examinations.
Certificate— The State board shall award a certificate of completion to each individual who completes the program and obtains a certification.
Sec. 6 Department of Labor guidance and facilitation
Background information and selection guidance— The Secretary of Labor shall create an introductory program for use in one-stop centers to provide background information to participants on information technology certification programs, to ensure such participants meet the necessary requirements, and suggest which certification program a participant should pursue according to his or her experience, skills and competency.
Identification of local employment needs— In consultation with local chambers of commerce, the Secretary shall identify the certification programs that best meet the employment needs in each local area.
Website— The Secretary of Labor shall make the information required under subsections (a) and (b) available on an Internet website. Such website shall also include information on participating persons, partnerships, and corporations who donate money to the fund established by section 2, unless the person, partnership, or corporation requests that this information not be included on the website.
Facilitation of in-Kind donations— The Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the State boards, local one-stop centers, and local chambers of commerce, shall facilitate the placing of in-kind donations of textbooks or other study materials by entities described in section 2(b) with qualified individuals participating in certification programs.
Sec. 7 Definitions
As used in this Act—
the term information technology certification program means any course of study or training in computer science or information technology that culminates with an individual earning a certification or other industry-recognized credential that attests to the individual’s qualification to perform a job or task that entails the application of computers and telecommunications equipment;
the term qualified individual means an individual who—
at the time he or she submits an application for financial support under section 5, has been unemployed for a period of not less than 6 months; or
is a veteran of the Armed Services;
the term one-stop center means a one-stop operator as defined in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801); and
the term State board means a State workforce investment board established under section 111 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2811).