STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2603--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sens. LAVALLE, HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
-- recommitted to the Committee on Higher Education in accordance with
Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the "help
individuals reach employment program" (HIRE)
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 355-d
2 to read as follows:
3 § 355-d. Help individuals reach employment. 1. The "help individuals
4 reach employment program" (HIRE) is hereby established to provide addi-
5 tional skills for college graduates to increase their employment market-
6 ability and attain successful job placement.
7 2. To be eligible to participate in the HIRE program, an applicant
8 shall have: (a) received an undergraduate degree from the state univer-
9 sity of New York and have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or high-
10 er; (b) completed their degree in no more than five years, or six years
11 if the degree typically requires five years; (c) completed an approved
12 experiential learning activity, as defined by the board of trustees; (d)
13 graduated and sought employment for at least six months prior to the
14 date of application; (e) been unsuccessful in obtaining full-time
15 employment; (f) provided documentation that such applicant has sought
16 employment for such a job in New York state; and (g) applied for the
17 degree enhancement for employment program within one year after the date
18 of graduation.
19 3. The trustees of the state university of New York shall establish or
20 identify existing certificate programs that provide skills for college
21 graduates to enhance their employment marketability that are tailored to
22 job market needs which shall be made available to all eligible appli-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08037-02-8
S. 2603--A 2
1 cants free of charge to such applicant. The trustees shall promulgate
2 rules and regulations in consultation with the department of labor to
3 ensure such programs are aligned with job market and industry needs. If
4 the state university of New York does not currently offer certificate
5 programs that meet the requirements of this section, or if current
6 certificate programs are at capacity or can not be expanded to admit all
7 eligible applicants, such programs may be offered in an on-line format
8 to satisfy the requirements of this section.
9 4. If the college from which the applicant graduated currently offers
10 a certificate program that meets the requirements set forth in subdivi-
11 sion three of this section, then it shall be the choice of the applicant
12 to either attend such program at that campus or complete such program
13 on-line; or if a community college is currently offering a certificate
14 program that meets the requirements in subdivision three of this
15 section, such applicant shall have the choice of obtaining such certif-
16 icate from such community college free of charge to the applicant. Such
17 community college shall be entitled to reimbursement for the cost of
18 such applicant's attendance in the certificate program from the state
19 university of New York four year institution from which the applicant
20 received his or her bachelor's degree.
21 5. Each state university of New York institution that confers four
22 year degrees shall inform all incoming freshman and transfer students
23 about anticipated job availability per each major and approximate salary
24 ranges per each major, which degrees will typically require a graduate
25 degree or additional education beyond a bachelor's degree and about such
26 institution's undergraduate student employment rates measured within one
27 year of such students' graduation.
28 § 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
29 subdivision 20 to read as follows:
30 20. a. The "help individuals reach employment program" (HIRE) is here-
31 by established to provide additional skills for college graduates to
32 increase their employment marketability and attain successful job place-
33 ment.
34 b. To be eligible to participate in the HIRE program, an applicant
35 shall have: (i) received an undergraduate degree from the city universi-
36 ty of New York and have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or higher;
37 (ii) completed their degree in no more than five years, or six years if
38 the degree typically requires five years; (iii) completed an approved
39 experiential learning activity, as defined by the board of trustees;
40 (iv) graduated and sought employment for at least six months prior to
41 the date of application; (v) been unsuccessful in obtaining full-time
42 employment; (vi) provided documentation that such applicant has sought
43 employment for such a job in New York state; and (vii) applied for the
44 degree enhancement for employment program within one year after the date
45 of graduation.
46 c. The trustees of the city university of New York shall establish or
47 identify existing certificate programs that provide skills for college
48 graduates to enhance their employment marketability that are tailored to
49 job market needs, which shall be made available to all eligible appli-
50 cants free of charge to such applicant. The trustees shall promulgate
51 rules and regulations in consultation with the department of labor to
52 ensure such programs are aligned with job market and industry needs. If
53 the city university of New York does not currently offer certificate
54 programs that meet the requirements of this subdivision, or if current
55 certificate programs are at capacity or cannot be expanded to admit all
S. 2603--A 3
1 eligible applicants, such programs may be offered in an on-line format
2 to satisfy the requirements of this subdivision.
3 d. If the college from which the applicant graduated currently offers
4 a certificate program that meets the requirements in paragraph c of this
5 subdivision, then it shall be the choice of the applicant to either
6 attend such program at that campus or complete such program on-line; or
7 if a community college is currently offering a certificate program that
8 meets the requirements in paragraph c of this subdivision, such appli-
9 cant shall have the choice of obtaining such certificate from such
10 community college free of charge to the applicant. Such community
11 college shall be entitled to reimbursement for the cost of such appli-
12 cant's attendance in the certificate program from the city university of
13 New York four year institution from which the applicant received his or
14 her bachelor's degree.
15 e. Each city university of New York institution that confers four year
16 degrees shall inform all incoming freshmen and transfer students about
17 anticipated job availability per each major and approximate salary rang-
18 es per each major, which degrees will typically require a graduate
19 degree or additional education beyond a bachelor's degree and about such
20 institution's under graduate student employment rates measured within
21 one year of such students' graduation.
22 § 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
23 law.
