As used in this part 6:
(1) Commission means the business experiential-learning commission in
the department created by executive order B 2015 004, which works in partnership
with the office of economic development and the work force development council,
or a subsequent entity established for the same or similar purpose.
(2) Digital equity means the condition in which individuals and communities
have access to the information technology that is needed for full participation in
society and the economy of the United States.
(3) (a) Digital inclusion means the activities that are necessary to ensure
that all individuals in the state have access to, and the use of, affordable
information and communication technologies, such as:
(I) Reliable fixed and wireless broadband internet service;
(II) Internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user; and
(III) Applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration.
(b) Digital inclusion includes the ability to obtain:
(I) Access to digital literacy training;
(II) Quality technical support; and
(III) Basic awareness of measures to ensure online privacy and cybersecurity.
(4) Digital literacy means the skills associated with using technology that
enable users to find, evaluate, organize, create, disseminate, and communicate
information.
(4.5) Externship program means the statewide teacher externship program
created in section 8-83-602.5.
(5) Incentive program means the work-based learning incentive program
created in section 8-83-602.
(5.5) K-12 teacher or teacher in a K-12 classroom means a teacher
teaching in a public school in the state.
(5.7) Local education provider means a school district, a board of
cooperative services that operates a school, a district charter school, or an institute
charter school.
(6) Next-skilling means activities to develop future-ready skills necessary
for employment in the twenty-first century and includes the focus areas of human
skills, digital skills, business skills, growth mindset, and a lifelong learning mindset.
(7) Office means the office of future of work created in section 8-15.8-103.
(8) Office of economic development means the Colorado office of
economic development created in section 24-48.5-101.
(9) Office of new Americans means the office created in section 8-3.7-103.
(10) Program means the statewide digital navigator program created in
section 8-83-603.
(10.5) Public school means a school in the state that enrolls students in any
of grades kindergarten through twelfth grade, including a traditional public school
of a school district, as described in section 22-1-101 (1); a charter school, as defined
in section 22-30.5-103 (2); or an institute charter school, as defined in section 22-30.5-502 (6).
(11) (a) Reskilling means activities to:
(I) Support unemployed and underemployed individuals who need or want to
change industries in order to return to full-time work or who need or want to obtain
more appropriate work-based skills; and
(II) Help unemployed and underemployed individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency.
(b) Reskilling may include technical training for new positions and new
careers and entrepreneurial training for individuals who wish to pursue self-employment and business ownership.
(12) Skills-based hiring means hiring a person based on the person's
knowledge, skills, and abilities that are specific to the job for which the person is
being considered.
(12.5) STEM means the combination of the disciplines of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(13) Target populations includes:
(a) Any household with an income that is not more than one hundred fifty
percent of the federal poverty level, as determined by the most current federal
poverty guidelines issued by the United States department of health and human
services;
(b) Individuals who are fifty years of age or older;
(c) Individuals who are or were incarcerated;
(d) Veterans;
(e) Individuals with disabilities;
(f) Individuals who have recently immigrated to the United States and reside
in this state;
(g) Individuals who are English language learners;
(h) Individuals with low levels of literacy;
(i) Individuals who primarily reside in rural areas;
(j) Individuals experiencing homelessness; and
(k) Youth.
(l4) Upskilling means activities to increase the skill levels of an employee
so the employee is able to retain employment and advance within a company.
(15) (a) Work-based learning means learning that occurs, in whole or in
part, in the workplace that provides youth and adults, including teachers in K-12
classrooms, with hands-on, real-world experience and training for skills
development.
(b) Work-based learning includes activities such as job shadowing,
internships, externships, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, residencies, and
incumbent-worker training.
(c) Work-based learning also includes externships in STEM or STEM-related fields tailored to provide K-12 teachers with knowledge to improve
classroom curriculum.
(16) Work-based learning intermediary means an entity selected by the
department pursuant to section 8-83-602 (3).
(17) Work force development council means the state work force
development council created in section 24-46.3-101.
(18) Youth means an individual eligible to be educated in the public school
system pursuant to section 2 of article IX of the state constitution.