170.028.  Industry certifications, professional licenses, and occupational competency assessments — council to have list, use of — department duties. — 1.  For purposes of this section, the following terms mean:

  (1)  "Council", the career and technical education advisory council established under section 178.550;

  (2)  "Industry certification", a full certification from a recognized industry, trade, or professional association validating essential skills of a particular occupation, which may include, but shall not be limited to:

  (a)  Any certification related to a high-demand occupation as described by the Missouri economic research and information center (MERIC); and

  (b)  Perkins Technical Skills Assessment;

  (3)  "Occupational competency assessment", a national standardized assessment of skills and knowledge in a specific career or technical area, which may include, but shall not be limited to, assessments offered by the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI).

  2.  The council shall annually review, update, approve, and recommend a list of industry certifications, state-issued professional licenses, and occupational competency assessments.

  3.  A school district may use the list described under subsection 2 of this section as a resource in establishing programs of study that meet the district's regional workforce needs under section 170.029.

  4.  The department of elementary and secondary education shall identify any provider of a course that:

  (1)  Includes a Perkins Technical Skills Assessment that leads to an industry-recognized credential that meets requirements related to college and career readiness under the Missouri school improvement program; and

  (2)  Is recommended for college credit by a nationally recognized body that provides course equivalency information to facilitate decisions on the awarding of course credit.

  5.  (1)  At least annually, the department of elementary and secondary education shall provide the council with a list of all course providers identified under subsection 4 of this section.  The council may recommend to the department of elementary and secondary education that agreements described under subdivision (2) of this subsection be entered into with one or more course providers identified in the list.

  (2)  The department of elementary and secondary education may enter into an agreement with a course provider recommended by the council that governs the conditions under which school districts and local educational agencies contract with the course provider.

  (3)  Any school district or local educational agency may contract with a course provider recommended by the council to design or deliver career and technical education programs described under section 170.029.