Small business workforce service initiative.

(1) Subject to legislative appropriation, the state board shall establish a program to encourage local workforce development boards to establish one-stop delivery systems that maximize the provision of workforce and human-resource support services to small businesses. Under the program, a local workforce development board may apply, on a competitive basis, for funds to support the provision of such services to small businesses through the local workforce development area’s one-stop delivery system.

(2) Eligible uses of funds under this program include, but are not limited to:

(a) Identifying common training needs among small businesses;

(b) Developing curriculum to address common training needs among small businesses;

(c) Facilitating the provision of training services for such small businesses through eligible training providers;

(d) Assisting small businesses to identify incentives and complete applications or other paperwork associated with such incentives; and

(e) Establishing a single point of contact for the provision of preemployment and postemployment services to small businesses.

(3) The state board shall establish guidelines governing the administration of this program and shall establish criteria to be used in evaluating applications for funding. Such criteria must include, but need not be limited to, a showing that the local workforce development board has in place a detailed plan for establishing a one-stop delivery system designed to meet the workforce needs of small businesses and for leveraging other funding sources in support of such activities.

(4) For purposes of this section, the term “small business” means an independently owned and operated business concern that employs 30 or fewer permanent full-time employees and that, together with its affiliates, has a net worth of not more than $3 million and an average net income, after federal income taxes and excluding any carryover losses, of not more than $2 million for the preceding 2 years.