California Education and Workforce Development Coordinating Entity: California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program.

Senator Padilla's career technical education legislation establishes a new statewide coordinating entity while revising California's Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program to enhance alignment between education and workforce development systems.

The bill creates the California Education and Workforce Development Coordinating Entity within the Government Operations Agency to serve as the central planning and coordination body for career technical education statewide. This entity, comprising education officials, workforce board representatives, labor leaders, and student members, will develop a comprehensive state plan to streamline career education programs, maintain a database of workforce initiatives, and establish metrics for program evaluation. A dedicated subcommittee will focus on expanding access for underserved populations.

The legislation also modifies the existing Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program by adjusting eligibility requirements and funding mechanisms. Grant applicants must now demonstrate collaboration with industry partners, alignment with labor market needs, and support services for diverse student populations. The bill removes previous restrictions on maximum grant amounts while maintaining matching fund requirements that increase over time. Additional consideration will be given to applicants in areas with high unemployment or poverty rates, as defined by specific economic thresholds.

For implementation, the Department of Education must consult with the new coordinating entity rather than the Community Colleges Chancellor when reviewing grant applications. The department must also publicly release grant recommendation information 30 days before submission to the state board. Grant recipients can include school districts, county offices, charter schools, and regional occupational centers, either individually or in combination.