(a) The economic development of the County requires a well-prepared, educated, trained, and adaptable workforce to meet the current and future needs of County businesses. (b) The County workforce needs the tools and resources to successfully compete in a complex global economy. (c) County workforce training should encourage students to prepare for those occupations that are most needed in the County. (d) County workforce training should provide equal opportunity for women to train for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and generally encourage gender equity in all careers. (e) Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove provide high quality higher education training in the County. (f) A workforce investment scholarship program would promote economic development in the County.

(a) Definitions. Board means the Workforce Investment Scholarship Board created in Section 44-48. Director means the Director of the Department of Finance or the Director’s designee. (b) The Director must administer a workforce investment scholarship program that: (1) awards workforce investment scholarships to students in an undergraduate degree program which prepares students for: (A) one of the County’s 10 most needed occupations; (B) certification by the State Department of Education to teach mathematics or science in a Maryland public school; (C) a degree in engineering, mathematics, or a natural science; or (D) a degree in early childhood education or early childhood special education. (2) requires a student who receives a workforce investment scholarship to agree to work in the County as a mathematics or science teacher, as an engineer, or in one of the County’s 10 most needed occupations for at least the number of years the student receives the scholarship; and (3) requires the repayment of the scholarship by a student who does not complete a degree or who does not satisfy other conditions of the scholarship. (c) The Executive must adopt regulations under Method 2 implementing the scholarship program after considering the Board’s recommendations. The regulations must govern the award of workforce investment scholarships covering tuition, books, fees, and related expenses to attend an undergraduate degree program at: 1. Montgomery College for the first 2 years; and 2. the Universities at Shady Grove for the last 2 years; or 3. any campus for one of the participating Universities at Shady Grove for the last 2 years if the degree program is not offered at Shady Grove.

(a) Creation. The County Executive must appoint, subject to confirmation by the County Council, a Workforce Investment Scholarship Board, consisting of 3 members. (b) Composition; appointments of members. (1) One member must be nominated by the Director (2) One member must be nominated by the President of Montgomery College. (3) One member must be nominated by the Executive Director of the Universities at Shady Grove. (c) Chair; vice chair. The Board must annually select one member as chair and another as vice chair, and any other officers it finds necessary. (d) Terms; reappointments. The term of office of each member is 3 years. A member continues in office until a successor is confirmed. (e) Compensation. A member receives no compensation for serving on the Board. (f) Quorum. A quorum is a majority of the members of the Board. (g) Meetings; reports. The Board may meet at the call of the chair as frequently as required to perform its duties, but no less than 4 times each year. The Board must submit an annual report on December 31 to the Executive and Council summarizing its activities, needs, and recommendations, and the degree to which the goals of the Board are being met.

The Board must: (a) recommend regulations governing the award of workforce investment scholarships; (b) recommend an annual Workforce Investment Scholarship budget request to the Director for inclusion in the Executive’s recommended annual operating budget; (c) adopt procedures as necessary to achieve the purposes of this Article, and keep a record of its activities and minutes of all meetings; and (d) make recommendations to the Executive and the Council on the workforce investment scholarship program.

The Director: (a) must provide staff services and administrative support to the Board; (b) must annually specify the County’s 10 most needed occupations as defined in the regulations; (c) must submit an annual Workforce Investment Scholarship Program budget request to the Executive; and (d) may enter into an agreement with Montgomery College, the Universities at Shady Grove, or one of the participating Universities at Shady Grove to administer the scholarship program.