State employment: Foster Youth Job Readiness Training Pilot Program.

(1) Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, provides for filling certain state positions through the process of examinations and the establishment of eligible lists and promotional lists. Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to administer the Personnel Classification Plan of the State of California, including the allocation of every position to the appropriate class in the classification plan. Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to administer the Limited Examination and Appointment Program (LEAP) to provide an alternative to the traditional civil service examination and appointment process to facilitate the hiring of persons with disabilities in state civil service. Existing law requires the department to conduct competitive examinations to determine eligibility for appointment under LEAP and to refer the names of eligible applicants who meet the minimum qualifications of a job classification to the appointing powers for examination appointments, as specified. Existing law authorizes the Employment Development Department to contract with a specified nonprofit organization meeting specified criteria to manage grant programs designed to help eligible at-risk youth complete their secondary education and acquire the skills necessary to successfully transition into the workforce or enroll in postsecondary education. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the state's responsibility for the well-being of foster youth and former foster youth. The bill, until January 1, 2020, would require the Department of Human Resources to establish an emancipated foster youth program to promote the training of qualified foster youth in specified entry-level unclassified positions for their eventual hiring in classified positions within Sacramento with any state agency or department as determined by the department. The bill would require a participant in the program to pass a written examination for the classification in which he or she is trained, if generally required for applicants in that classification, after 3 months, but before 9 months, of training. (2) Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law establishes the Consolidated Work Program Fund in the State Treasury for the receipt of all moneys deposited pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Existing law provides that moneys in the fund are to be made available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Employment Development Department, for expenditure consistent with the purposes of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the state plan required by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This bill would require the Sacramento County Office of Education to develop and administer the Foster Youth Job Readiness Training Pilot Program with moneys appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose. The bill would appropriate $1,100,000 from the Consolidated Work Program Fund to the Sacramento County Office of Education to develop an application and create criteria for selecting eligible organizations to provide job readiness training to eligible participants. The bill would require the Sacramento County Office of Education to award grants to selected eligible organizations to pay for trainers to provide job readiness training to eligible participants and to provide a stipend to eligible participants who satisfy specified conditions. The bill would require the Sacramento County Office of Education to compile information regarding participation in the program. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2020. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Sacramento County Office of Education. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.