[§371-17] Millennium workforce development training program. (a) There is established a millennium workforce development training program, hereinafter referred to as the program, that shall be placed with the department of labor and industrial relations for administrative purposes. The program shall provide education and training at the post-high school to graduate levels, and shall include public, private, and for-profit educational institutions. In the design and delivery of training, the program may cooperate or contract with other public, private, and for-profit institutions.

(b) The program shall seek and encourage partnerships with private sector industries such as biotechnology, information technology, environmental science and technology, and telecommunications, as may be appropriate, to provide pre-employment or employment training, or on-the-job training for employees and perspective employees.

(c) The department of labor and industrial relations shall establish and lead a public and private partnership task group, that shall include representatives from the department of business, economic development, and tourism, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the University of Hawaii community colleges, and private sector representatives to advise on the program design, industry, recruitment, and training delivery activities of participating entities.

(d) In carrying out the duties of this section, the department of labor and industrial relations and the University of Hawaii shall seek and utilize any available funding sources, including grant moneys. [L 1999, c 178, §12]