DE HB166

Establishes the Elevate Delaware program within the Division of Employment and Training to provide tuition payments of up to $10,000 for eligible individuals to attend approved non-credit certificate programs offering industry-accepted skill training and certification.

Eligibility requires individuals to be employed by an employer with under 51 employees, be subject to Delaware income tax, and be accepted into an eligible program; non-Delaware residents must have employer commitment and personal intent to work in Delaware for at least 1 year after program completion.

Workforce Development Board maintains and annually updates a list of eligible non-credit certificate programs based on employer skill requirements and in-demand industry sectors, with priorities distributed across counties based on population.

Department of Labor may provide auxiliary expense payments (up to the difference between the $10,000 maximum and tuition paid) for basic living expenses and supplies necessary for the program or employment, for up to 90 days following program completion.

Appropriates up to $1.5 million from the General Fund; payments made on first-come, first-served basis with no entitlement created; Department of Labor may recoup payments if individuals or employers act in bad faith; effective for programs beginning after December 31, 2021.