(a) The Virgin Islands Board for Career and Technical Education shall be the sole agency for the administration of the career and technical programs in the Virgin Islands under this subchapter and the Acts of Congress referred to in section 261 of this title, and shall—(1) cooperate with the Office of Education, within the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in the administration of all Acts of Congress relating to career and technical education, provide for the certification of private schools and programs in the field of career and technical education and administer all provisions of this Code relating thereto, as well as any other legislation pursuant thereto enacted by the Legislature;(2) approve plans for cooperating with the Federal Government in carrying out any and all phases of the career and technical education program in which it may find cooperation to be desirable;(3) administer the funds provided by the Federal Government and the Legislature for the promotion of career and technical education in qualifications for teachers and supervisors of such subjects, and, distributive education;(4) approve plans for the promotion of career and technical education as an essential and integral part of the public school system in the Virgin Islands, and provide for the preparation of teachers in such subjects;(5) make certification for payment of the compensation of officials and other personnel appointed under section 99 of Title 3 for the proper administration in the Virgin Islands of the provisions of this subchapter and of any Federal Acts relating to career and technical education, and of other expenses of administration of such career and technical education programs, from funds appropriated for these purposes;(6) provide for the making of studies and investigations relating to career and technical education in such subjects;(7) promote, maintain, and aid in the establishment of schools, departments, or classes for training in such subjects, prescribe the qualifications for teachers and supervisors of such subjects, and, subject to the approval of the Governor, provide for the certification, selection, determination of salaries, and appointment of such teachers and supervisors;(8) establish and determine by general regulations the qualifications to be possessed by persons engaged in the training of career and technical education programs and for the articulation of this work with other phases of the territorial programs;(9) do all things necessary to entitle the Virgin Islands to receive the benefits of all funds appropriated to the Virgin Islands under the Acts of Congress referred to in this section;(10) prepare and issue rules and regulations necessary for the proper administration of this subchapter; and(11) prepare an annual budget pursuant to 2 V.I.C. § 23 for the Board’s operation; and(12) make an annual report to the Legislature.
(1) cooperate with the Office of Education, within the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in the administration of all Acts of Congress relating to career and technical education, provide for the certification of private schools and programs in the field of career and technical education and administer all provisions of this Code relating thereto, as well as any other legislation pursuant thereto enacted by the Legislature;
(2) approve plans for cooperating with the Federal Government in carrying out any and all phases of the career and technical education program in which it may find cooperation to be desirable;
(3) administer the funds provided by the Federal Government and the Legislature for the promotion of career and technical education in qualifications for teachers and supervisors of such subjects, and, distributive education;
(4) approve plans for the promotion of career and technical education as an essential and integral part of the public school system in the Virgin Islands, and provide for the preparation of teachers in such subjects;
(5) make certification for payment of the compensation of officials and other personnel appointed under section 99 of Title 3 for the proper administration in the Virgin Islands of the provisions of this subchapter and of any Federal Acts relating to career and technical education, and of other expenses of administration of such career and technical education programs, from funds appropriated for these purposes;
(6) provide for the making of studies and investigations relating to career and technical education in such subjects;
(7) promote, maintain, and aid in the establishment of schools, departments, or classes for training in such subjects, prescribe the qualifications for teachers and supervisors of such subjects, and, subject to the approval of the Governor, provide for the certification, selection, determination of salaries, and appointment of such teachers and supervisors;
(8) establish and determine by general regulations the qualifications to be possessed by persons engaged in the training of career and technical education programs and for the articulation of this work with other phases of the territorial programs;
(9) do all things necessary to entitle the Virgin Islands to receive the benefits of all funds appropriated to the Virgin Islands under the Acts of Congress referred to in this section;
(10) prepare and issue rules and regulations necessary for the proper administration of this subchapter; and
(11) prepare an annual budget pursuant to 2 V.I.C. § 23 for the Board’s operation; and
(12) make an annual report to the Legislature.
(b) The Board for Career and Technical Education shall promote, maintain and aid in the establishment of schools, departments, or classes which provide pathways to career readiness for public school students in the ninth through twelfth grades. The Board and the Department of Education shall collaborate with the University of the Virgin Islands through its Center for Excellence in Leadership and Learning when necessary to further develop a sustainable career and technical program for public high school students who have selected a vocational career path.
(c) The career and technical program must consist of a classroom component where students will accrue instructional hours, an interactive component where each student will be paired with a professional mentor in their chosen career path, and a certification component.(1) At a minimum, student participants must receive an entry level certification or the equivalent thereof in the students’ respective fields, after successfully completing the dual component program.(2) If the physical classroom component of the program is unavailable at any time, a comparable classroom component must be substituted and may be, but is not limited to, online education hours.
(1) At a minimum, student participants must receive an entry level certification or the equivalent thereof in the students’ respective fields, after successfully completing the dual component program.
(2) If the physical classroom component of the program is unavailable at any time, a comparable classroom component must be substituted and may be, but is not limited to, online education hours.
(d) The Department of Education shall use available federal and local resources to support the University of the Virgin Islands’ classroom certification component. The Department of Education shall work with the Department of Labor to provide job placement for student participants who complete the program.
(e) Any business that partners with the Department of Education to train students shall receive a non-refundable Gross Receipts tax credit in the amount of $500 for each student who completes the training program. The credit must be taken for the calendar year in which a student is trained and may not exceed $2,500. To be eligible for the non-refundable tax credit, the business partner must receive from the Department of Education documentation confirming partnership and the number of students the business partner has trained.
(f) EDC beneficiaries who partner with the Department of Education to train students may not benefit from the tax credit stated in subsection (e). Instead, every student that is trained must be counted towards a beneficiary’s education assistance, pursuant to Title 29 V.I.C. section 708(a).
(g) The Board for Career and Technical Education, in consultation with the Department of Education and the University of the Virgin Islands, is responsible for promulgating the rules of the program prior to the initial implementation date in order to achieve a timely and efficient implementation process. The Board and the Department of Education shall notify all public high schools in the territory about any updates to the rules which occur after implementation.
(h) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Board shall receive from the Department of Labor and the Workforce Development Board relevant data at least every five years, to determine needed career pathways based on the job market in the territory and shall provide the Department of Education’s State Office of Career and Technical Education with updates on colleges and career pathways that target the Virgin Islands economy.
(i) The Board for Career and Technical Education and the Board of Education shall work together to ensure that academic requirements and academic credits do not prevent any student from receiving a certificate in any career and technical education pathway.