§ 843. Employer specific skills training. 1. The department shall
enter into agreements with the commissioner of education to pay for the
participation of dislocated workers in employer specific short-term
skill training provided by the commissioner of education under the
provisions of the federal Vocational Education Act of 1963.

2. Employers seeking assistance. Employers seeking assistance in
locating the availability of employer specific skills training programs,
or seeking to have such a program developed may apply for assistance by
contacting a regional educational center for economic development. Such
center shall survey existing programs offered by it or through
appropriate substate grantees to identify any which may be suitable to
meet the needs of the applicant. If none is available, the department of
education shall contact local education agencies within the substate
area, and adjacent substate areas, to promote the development of
proposals for programs to be funded through the program.

3. Grant applications by training providers. Training providers may
apply to the commissioner of education for grants to conduct employer
specific skill training programs. Application for grants shall be in a
manner consistent with the application process for business and industry
specific training programs under the federal Vocational Education Act of
1963, and shall be in a form prescribed by the commissioner of
education. Such application shall (a) describe the amount and purposes
for which funding is requested; (b) describe the training services to be
provided, including the duration of training and the estimated training
cost per recipient; (c) show evidence that the proposed training program
will provide appropriate assistance to recipients; (d) describe other
funding sources which may be used for such training; (e) describe the
steps the provider will take to avoid duplication of training available
through existing resources; (f) describe the provider's coordination
with programs and activities funded through the job training partnership
act or other state resources; and (g) such other information as may be
required by the commissioner of education. No grant shall exceed fifty
percent of total program cost.

4. Evaluation of grant applications. The commissioner of education
shall make grant awards based on evaluation of the following criteria,
at a minimum: (a) The provider's past effectiveness in delivering
training programs based on demonstrated performance; (b) ability to
provide participants with the skills necessary to fill available jobs;
(c) the administrative capability to operate such a training program;
(d) cost of the proposed program; (e) where appropriate, evidence that
the provider has made provisions for coordination with other services
available from the department of economic development, the department of
labor, such other state agencies as may be relevant, and local grantees;
and (f) such other factors as the commissioner of education shall deem
appropriate.

5. In the event of a plant closing or substantial layoff as defined in
subdivisions ten and sixteen of section eight hundred thirty-five of
this article, the state education department shall participate in rapid
response activity and make available appropriate resources for training
interventions through the regional education centers for economic
development.

6. In developing projects in response to training needs for dislocated
workers or additional dislocated workers, the commissioner of education
shall approve and fund from this article, only employer specific
training projects that have been certified in writing by the substate
grantee as consistent with the area's substate plan after formal
consultation with the state education department.

7. Funds available under this paragraph shall be allocated to each
region based on a formula which includes the relative number of
unemployed individuals within each region and available plant closing
and substantial layoff data published by the department under the
permanent mass layoff and plant closing statistical series. However,
after March first of each fiscal year, the commissioner of education, in
a manner consistent with applicable federal law and regulations, shall
reapportion any amount of any allocation otherwise due to a region if he
or she determines that such amount cannot be obligated within such
region. Such reapportionment shall be distributed in a manner consistent
with the purposes of this article.