(A) Before July 1, 2006, the Education and Economic Development Council shall designate regional education centers to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of information, resources, and services to students, educators, employers, and the community.
(B) The primary responsibilities of these centers are to:
(1) provide services to students and adults for career planning, employment seeking, training, and other support functions;
(2) provide information, resources, and professional development programs to educators;
(3) provide resources to school districts for compliance and accountability pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;
(4) provide information and resources to employers including, but not limited to, education partnerships, career-oriented learning, and training services;
(5) facilitate local connections among businesses and those involved in education; and
(6) work with school districts and institutions of higher education to create and coordinate workforce education programs.
(C)
(1) By the 2006-07 school year, each regional education center shall have career development facilitators who shall coordinate career-oriented learning, career development, and postsecondary transitions for the schools in their respective regions.
(2) A career development facilitator must be certified and recognized by the National Career Development Association.
(D) The Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall provide oversight to the regional centers, and the centers shall provide data and reports that the council may request.
(E)
(1) The regional centers are to assume the geographic configuration of the Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIA) of the South Carolina Workforce Investment Act. Each regional center shall have an advisory board comprised of a school district superintendent, high school principal, local workforce investment board chairperson, technical college president, four-year college or university representative, career center director or school district career and technology education coordinator, parent-teacher organization representative, and business and civic leaders. Appointees must reside or do business in the geographic area of the center. Appropriate local legislative delegations shall make the appointments to the regional center boards.
(2) The regional centers shall include, but not be limited to, the one- stop shops, workforce investment boards, tech prep consortia, and regional instructional technology centers.