§ 96-32.  Common follow-up information management system created.

(a) The Department of Commerce, Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD), shall develop, implement, and maintain a common follow-up information management system for tracking the performance measures related to current and former participants in State job training, education, and placement programs. The system shall provide for the automated collection, organization, dissemination, and analysis of data obtained from State-funded programs that provide job training and education and job placement services to program participants. In developing the system, LEAD shall ensure that data and information collected from State agencies is confidential, not open for general public inspection, and maintained and disseminated in a manner that protects the identity of individual persons from general public disclosure.

(b) LEAD shall adopt procedures and guidelines for the development and implementation of the CFS authorized under this section.

(c) Based on data collected under the CFS, the LEAD shall evaluate the effectiveness of job training, education, and placement programs to determine if specific program goals and objectives are attained, to determine placement and completion rates for each program, and to make recommendations regarding the continuation of State funding for programs evaluated.

(d) The LEAD shall do the following:

(1) Collaborate with the NCWorks Commission to develop common performance measures across workforce programs in the Department of Commerce, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Community Colleges System Office, the Department of Administration, and the Department of Public Instruction that can be tracked through the CFS in order to assess and report on workforce development program performance.

(2) Determine whether other workforce development programs not participating in CFS should be required to report information and data.

(3) Provide information from CFS to reporting agencies annually.

(4) Provide training for participating agencies to ensure data quality and consistency.

(5) Develop common data definitions that are shared across agencies contributing information to the system.

(e) The Department of Commerce shall ensure that funding and staff resources for the CFS are not diverted to other programs or systems managed by the Department of Commerce. (1995, c. 507, s. 25.6(a); 2000-140, s. 93.1(e); 2001-424, ss. 12.2(b), 20.17(a); 2011-401, s. 2.30; 2012-131, s. 4(a); 2012-134, s. 5(c); 2013-391, s. 8; 2015-241, s. 15.11(d).)