N.M. Admin. Code § 8.102.461.19

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 21, November 5, 2024

Section 8.102.461.19 - VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (CORE ACTIVITY)

A. Organized career and technical educational programs that are directly related to the preparation of a participant for employment in current or emerging occupations requiring training, to include a baccalaureate or advanced degree are considered to be vocational education and training. Engagement shall be reported as core participation for not more than 12 months in a lifetime.

(1) A course of vocational education or training is one whose purpose is to provide the specific knowledge and skills needed by a participant to carry out the functions and activities of an occupation or class of occupations listed in the DOT (dictionary of occupational titles). A participant will be granted a degree or certificate at the end of the program which names the occupation.

(2) Vocational educational training must be provided by education or training organizations, which may include, but are not limited to, vocational-technical schools, community colleges, postsecondary institutions, proprietary schools, non-profit organizations, and secondary schools that offer vocational education and are certified to provide the participant a certificate of completion by an accredited agency.

B. Approval of vocational education training:

(1) A fixed number of vocational education training education slots shall be authorized by the department and shall not exceed 30 percent of the total number of persons subject to work program participation. For a participant in a slot, all approved hours of participation in vocational education activities shall count in meeting the participant's core work participation requirement.

(2) No more than 12 months in a lifetime of such activity are countable in meeting the standard work participation requirement hours.

(3) Enrollment in an agreed-upon vocational training program is the responsibility of the participant.

(4) Level of effort: Participation requirement hours shall be considered based on:

(a) actual supervised class time hours;

(b) labs and similar activities are considered class time;

(c) actual hours of completed supervised study-time;

(d) one hour of unsupervised study time per hour of class not to exceed the educational program requirements; and

(e) holiday time and excused absences.

C. Component activities: Vocational educational training programs should be limited to component activities that give participants the knowledge and skills to perform a specific occupation. The following shall be considered as qualified participation hours for vocational education and training.

(1) Vocational associate degree programs: Programs consisting of both academic and vocational for credit course work that requires 60 credits for completion. Completion of these programs can provide an associate of arts, associates of science or associates of applied science degree in fields defined as vocational as per Subsection A of this section.

(2) Instructional certificate programs: Programs designed to upgrade job related skills which generally require up to a year to complete and involve less academic work than associate degrees.

(3) Industry skills certifications: Industry developed certificates for students who demonstrate specific skills often thru testing. Preparation for tests include both self-study and courses offered at post secondary institutions or other training providers.

(4) Non-credit course work: Curriculum designed to accommodate those who want specific job related skills at an accredited institution.

(5) English as a second language (ESL) and basic education: these courses of study can count as part of the vocational training component only if they are included in the embedded activities in the curriculum. In order to count as a work activity, basic remedial education or ESL must be required subjects by counseling or evaluative services provided by the educational facility.

(6) Distance education and online certificate programs: Distance education and online certificate programs in the associate degree and certificate programs listed above must be taken through an institution accredited by an accrediting agency and recognized by the council for higher education accreditation or by the U.S. department of education in order to qualify as a work activity and approved on a case-by-case basis by the NMW service provider.

(7) Class and homework hours must be reported on timesheets and verified as supervised by the attended institution's instructor or aide.

D. Supervision and documentation:

(1) Verification of level of effort shall be required to determine that a participant has satisfactorily completed the hours by one or several of the component criteria.

(2) Participation requirement hours shall be considered based on actual supervised and unsupervised hours documented on a monthly timesheet.

N.M. Admin. Code § 8.102.461.19

8.102.461.19 NMAC - Rp, 8.102.460.28 NMAC, 4/1/2012