California Employment and Training Planning

California’s Unemployment Insurance Code deals with employment and training planning in Division 3, Part 1, Chapter 4.5. Article 1 concerns policies and purposes. Section 10510 contains a statement of legislative intent to establish and implement a program of comprehensive and coordinated employment and training planning in California in accordance with the federal Job Training Partnership Act.

In addition, the Legislature recognizes the need for a new employment and training planning structure which will provide for comprehensive analysis of alternative expenditure possibilities for the fiscal resources available in this field. The five basic principles of the system are as set forth in this section.

Article 2.5 deals with California workforce and economic information program. Section 10529 states that the services provided by the existing labor market information system within the department must include workforce and economic information that does four items. The department is required to solicit input in the operation of the program from public and private agencies and individuals that make use of the labor market information provided by the department.

Article 3 deals with coordination of labor market information. Section 10530 contains a statement of legislative intent to establish a statewide comprehensive labor market and occupational supply and demand information system to coordinate the labor market information needs, including those specified in the seven statutes cited, for the specified entities.

Section 10533 requires the EDD to operate the State-Local Cooperative Labor Market Information Program as the primary component of the comprehensive labor market and occupational supply and demand information system. The department must consult with specified agencies in the development and operation of this program.

In addition, the objectives of this program are to produce, through extensive local participation and for distribution in effective formats to all local users, reliable occupational information, and to achieve cost-efficient production by avoiding duplication of efforts. The program is to be a primary source for local and statewide occupational information and be available in all labor market areas in the state.

Finally, in producing this information, state and local agencies are required to use state occupational forecasts and other indicators of occupational growth, combined with local employer surveys of recruitment practices, job qualifications, earnings and hours, advancement and outlook, to provide statistically valid occupational analyses for local job training and education programs.