Subchapter V. Healthcare Workforce Partnership.

§ 32–1681. Definitions.

(1) "HWI grant" means the grant awarded to the Intermediary pursuant to § 32-1682.

(2) "Intermediary" means the entity selected to be the Healthcare Workforce Intermediary pursuant to § 32-1682.

(3) "Partnership" means the Healthcare Workforce Partnership established pursuant to § 32-1684.

(4) "Training" means occupational skills training for occupations in the healthcare sector.

(5) "WIC" means the Workforce Investment Council.

(6) "WIOA" means the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, approved July 22, 2014 (128 Stat. 1425; 29 U.S.C. § 3101 et seq.).

§ 32–1682. Establishment of a Healthcare Workforce Intermediary.

(a)(1) By December 1, 2020, the WIC shall select, through award of a grant, the Healthcare Workforce Intermediary to establish, convene, and assist the Healthcare Workforce Partnership.

(2) Consistent with part B of subchapter XII-A of Chapter 3 of Title 1, the WIC shall issue multi-year grants for a period of 4 years, subject to the availability of funds.

(b) The entity selected to be the Intermediary shall:

(1) Be a nonprofit organization, industry association, or community-based organization;

(2) Have a proven track record of success convening healthcare sector employers or have a significant role in the healthcare sector;

(3) Have existing relationships with training providers; and

(4) Have a proven track record of successful fundraising.

(1) Provide technical assistance to the Partnership through the Intermediary, which may include:

(A) Assisting the Partnership in obtaining data and information from District agencies;

(B) Providing the Partnership with customized labor market and economic analysis;

(D) Providing the Partnership with information on the number of District residents that training providers have the capacity to train in healthcare occupations;

(2) Submit to the Partnership for feedback the proposed statement of work for any grant solicitation for the provision of training at least 30 days before issuing the request for proposals;

(2A) [Expires September 30, 2024] Submit to the Partnership for feedback the proposed statement of work for the direct care worker training grant outlined in § 32-1693.06; and

(3) Use the Partnership's Healthcare Occupations Reports to align District government funded workforce development training with current and future healthcare sector hiring needs in the District.

§ 32–1683. Intermediary duties.

The Intermediary shall:

(1) By July 1, 2021:

(A) Appoint members to the Partnership consistent with the criteria specified in § 32-1684(b)(3);

(B) Convene at least 4 Partnership meetings;

(2) For the duration of the grant:

(A) Provide administrative support to the Partnership;

(B) Convene Partnership meetings at least quarterly;

(C) Compile and transmit to the WIC feedback from the Partnership on any statement of work for a proposed grant solicitation for the provision of training no more than 15 days after receiving the statement of work pursuant to § 32-1682(d)(2) [§ 32-1682(c)(2)];

(D) Work with the Partnership to coordinate and ensure provision of career coaching, screening and referral services, practice interviews, and job fairs for healthcare sector employment for qualified District training graduates;

(E) Facilitate requests for professional development and learning opportunities for training providers and training participants at healthcare facilities;

(F) Annually, compose and transmit the Partnership's Healthcare Occupations Report, as described in § 32-1684(e); and

(G) Perform additional duties on behalf of the Partnership consistent with the purposes of this subtitle and as funds permit; and

(3) During the fourth year of the HWI grant, raise private funds equal to the value of the HWI grant for that year, which the Intermediary shall reserve for use until after the expiration of the HWI grant in order to sustain the Partnership without dedicated District government funding.

§ 32–1684. Healthcare Workforce Partnership.

(a) The Intermediary shall establish the Healthcare Workforce Partnership, which shall work to increase the number of District residents employed in the healthcare sector and to meet the staffing needs of District healthcare employers, particularly of hospitals that receive District government funds.

(b)(1) The Director of the WIC, or the Director's designee, shall serve as a member of the Partnership.

(2) The Intermediary shall serve as a member of the Partnership and shall appoint community members in consultation with the WIC.

(3) Community members, the majority of which shall be healthcare sector employers, shall consist of the following:

(A) At least 5 employer representatives of the District's healthcare sector, which shall represent a variety of healthcare disciplines;

(B) At least one representative of a healthcare industry trade association;

(D) At least one representative from a nonprofit organization that offers training programs;

(E) At least one representative from an adult education integrated education and training program, as defined in 34 C.F.R. § 463.35, in the healthcare sector; and

(F) [Expires September 30, 2024] At least one representative from an employer of workers who are certified nursing aides, certified home health aides, or medication aide certified, including licensed home health agencies, assisted living residences, adult day health programs, nursing facilities, and long-term direct healthcare providers.

(d) The Partnership shall meet at least once each quarter for the duration of the HWI grant.

(e) No later than July 1, 2021, and annually thereafter in advance of the start of a new fiscal year, the Partnership shall submit to the WIC, through the Intermediary, its Healthcare Occupations Report, which shall contain the following:

(1) Recommendations of 3 to 5 healthcare occupations requiring less than a bachelor's degree, which may include occupations for which incumbent workers may be upskilled, in which the District should invest in training;

(2) A summary of the occupational hiring needs of hospitals receiving or committed to receive District government funds, including an estimate of the number of workers needed, disaggregated by healthcare occupation;

(3) A recommendation of the number of District residents the WIC should train in the occupations identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(4) A list of occupational skills required to obtain employment in the occupations identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(5) Recommendations of curricula for training in the occupations identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(6) An explanation of the feasibility of providing virtual training or distance learning, and recommendations to implement virtual training;

(7) Customized healthcare career pathway maps for the occupations identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(8) Recommendations of strategies and tactics to increase the capacity of training providers to train District residents; and

(9) Recommendations to attract District residents to, and retain District residents in, the occupations identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, including necessary tactics to increase candidates' hard and soft skills and to reduce barriers to employment.

§ 32–1685. Establishment of a healthcare training program.

(a) By September 1, 2021, the WIC shall establish a healthcare training program ("program") to fund or arrange for training of District residents in a minimum of 2 healthcare occupations identified in the Partnership's first Healthcare Occupations Report, issued pursuant to § 32-1684(e), which may include one occupation for upskilling of incumbent workers.

(b) To provide training, the WIC may:

(1) Issue healthcare training grants ("grants") to train providers, pursuant to § 32-1603(c); or

(2) Partner with the University of the District of Columbia Community College or Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

(c)(1) If the program includes a grant, subject to availability of funds, each grant shall be for not less than $100,000 per year for 3 years to provide training for District residents.

(2) To be eligible for a grant, a grantee shall:

(A) Be licensed by the Higher Education Licensure Commission as a post-secondary institution, degree or non-degree seeking;

(B) Agree to utilize the training curricula recommended by the Partnership pursuant to § 32-1684(e)(5); and

(i) Completion of training;

(ii) Credential attainment;

(iii) Unsubsidized employment in the occupation of training; and

(iv) Retention of employment for 6 months or longer in the occupation of training.

(3) Preference shall be given to grant applicants utilizing an integrated education and training model, as defined 34 C.F.R. § 463.35.

(d)(1) The WIC shall utilize WIOA common performance measures to track program performance.

(2) The WIC shall report on the performance of the program as required by § 32-1622.

(e) The WIC shall make its best effort to use WIOA Title I funds to issue any grants authorized in this section.

§ 32–1686. Monitoring and evaluation.

By August 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the WIC shall transmit to the Mayor and the Council the Healthcare Occupation Report developed by the Partnership pursuant to § 32-1684(e).