This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Michigan business and industrial training act".

     As used in this act:

    (a) "Department" means the department of labor.

    (b) "Employer" means an individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity that employs or plans to employ skilled workers.

    (c) "Job upgrading" means the specialized training that is given to an identified level of employees to enable them to advance to a higher level of employment.

    (d) "Program" means the Michigan business and industrial training program established pursuant to section 3.

    (e) "Training" means custom-designed training given to prospective employees of new businesses and industries within this state; to employees, prospective employees, or both, of expanding businesses and industries within this state; and to employees, prospective employees, or both, of businesses and industries within this state that possibly would relocate without this training.

     The department, in cooperation with the departments of commerce and education, shall develop a Michigan business and industrial training program. The program shall emphasize employee training specifically designed to accommodate the needs of individual employers. The program shall encourage the expansion of existing businesses and industries within this state, promote retention of existing jobs within this state, prevent out of state business and industrial migration, and assist in the in-migration of out of state businesses and industries.

     The program shall train persons for jobs that are characterized by the following criteria: skill demand, wage for the area commensurate with the skill required for the job, feasibility and desirability for location within this state.

     The program may do all of the following:

    (a) Perform a job skills analysis and design a training curriculum for a requesting employer.

    (b) Recruit and refer trainee applicants to an employer.

    (c) Provide off site preemployment training, or on site preemployment training if off site preemployment training is not practical, to prospective employees of a new or expanding business or industry.

    (d) Enter into an on the job training agreement with an employer.

    (e) Retrain employees in response to a technological change.

    (f) Provide job upgrading training if the training will increase the employer's total work force.

    (g) Contract with persons, public or private educational institutions, agencies, or other bodies for training or consultative services for an employer.

    (h) Provide materials and supplies used in the training process, instructors with specialized skills, instructional training aids and equipment, consultative services relative to highly specific or technical data, and other services.

    (i) Assist a foreign employer locating or expanding in this state by familiarizing the employer's foreign personnel with the work attitudes, work methods, expectations, customs, and life style of employees who work within this state.

    (j) Reimburse a foreign employer for travel and per diem expenses incurred in the training of key personnel from this state at a home facility of the employer, and for instructional time of foreign personnel within this state.

    (k) Take other action that is considered to be necessary or desirable for the furtherance of this act.

    (1) The primary concern in the provision of training services shall be the needs and type of services identified by the employer.

    (2) A community college or area vocational education center shall be given initial consideration to provide any training, job upgrading, or job upgrading training.

     The department of commerce shall market and promote the program.

     The program shall utilize federal money, when possible, to implement this act.

     The department shall file a report with the legislature not later than 1 year after the effective date of this act and every year thereafter. The report shall include the number of persons training and their demographics, the number of persons placed in employment, the number of employers for which persons have been trained and placed, the names of the employers for which persons have been trained and placed, and the number of persons trained and placed for each employer, the types of work for which persons have been trained, the source of training, and the overall effectiveness of this act in contributing to economic stabilization and business and industrial growth within this state.