Brief Description: Expanding apprenticeship opportunities for high school graduates.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Quall, Conway, Wood, Hasegawa, Haigh, Ormsby, Murray, Chase, Kessler, Morrell, Green, Roberts, McCoy, Moeller, Simpson, Sells, Lantz, McDermott, Ericks, Hankins, Kagi and Hudgins; by request of Governor Gregoire).

House Committee on Commerce & Labor
House Committee on Appropriations
Senate Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education
Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

Apprenticeship Programs

Apprenticeship programs enable individuals to learn trades and occupations through a combination of on-the-job training and related supplemental instruction. Apprenticeship programs are sponsored by joint employer and labor organizations, individual employers, and/or employer associations. The sponsor of an apprenticeship program plans, administers, and pays for the program.

The Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC) is the administrative arm of the apprenticeship section of the Department of Labor and Industries. The WSATC has the authority to, among other things, establish standards for apprenticeship programs and assist program sponsors with local administration of training programs.

Secondary School Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

Some high schools in Washington have established programs in partnership with local apprenticeship programs. The programs allow students to earn high school credits through courses at the high school and work-based internships at an employer's job site. Upon graduation, the students who complete these programs are typically qualified to enter directly into a full apprenticeship.

Centers of Excellence

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges designates certain community and technical colleges as Centers of Excellence to focus on a "targeted industry." A targeted industry is defined as one that is strategic to the economic growth of a region or the state. The mission of Centers of Excellence includes providing responsive education, translating industry research into best practices, and building a competitive workforce.

Summary:

Centers of Excellence

The existing community and technical college Centers of Excellence and other colleges identified by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, in consultation with the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC), as having a high density of apprenticeship programs must act as brokers of relevant information and resources.

Educational Outreach by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council

Using existing resources the WSATC must conduct an educational outreach program in conjunction with individual state-approved apprenticeship programs and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The educational outreach program must be directed at middle and secondary school students, parents, and educators. As part of the educational outreach program, the WSATC must communicate workforce projections to OSPI to distribute to all local school districts. Appropriate activities of the WSATC include assistance with curriculum development, establishment of practical learning opportunities, and seeking the advice and participation of business and labor.

Direct-Entry Programs and Incentive Grants

Using existing resources, the WSATC must approve and oversee direct-entry programs for graduating secondary students into building and construction-related apprenticeships by:

• assisting school districts in using and leveraging existing resources; and
• developing guidelines, including guidelines that ensure that graduating secondary school students will receive appropriate education and training and will have the opportunity to transition to local apprenticeship programs. The guidelines must be developed with input from the OSPI, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board, and other interested stakeholders for direct-entry programs operated by apprenticeship programs.

The WSATC must award up to 10 incentive grants to school districts for the 2006-07 school year. The grants are to be awarded based on the guidelines established by the WSATC and are to be used solely for personnel to negotiate and implement agreements with local apprenticeship programs to accept graduating high school students with appropriate training. In awarding the incentive grants, the WSATC must make every effort to award them evenly across the state.

WSATC Reporting Requirements

Beginning December 1, 2006, and annually thereafter, the WSATC must report to the Governor and the Legislature on the following:

• the guidelines established by the WSATC;
• the names of the school districts receiving incentive grants;
• the results of negotiations between school districts receiving incentive grants and local apprenticeship programs;
• a list of apprenticeship programs that have agreed, pursuant to negotiated agreements, to accept qualified graduating secondary students; and
• the number of qualified graduating secondary students entering into apprenticeship programs each year through direct-entry programs.

Pilot Projects

Subject to funding, up to four pilot projects are created to expand student enrollment in pre-apprenticeship programs, particularly building and construction apprenticeships. The OSPI, in consultation with the WSATC, must award grants on a competitive basis for these pilot projects. Two of the pilot projects must involve Skill Centers and two of the pilot projects must involve community and technical colleges. At least one of the pilots is encouraged to involve small or rural high schools.

To review grant applications, the OSPI and the WSATC must convene a review committee representing the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, business and labor interests with ties to apprenticeship fields, apprenticeship program coordinators, and career and technical educators in the public schools. Grant recipients must be notified by June 1, 2006.

The pilot projects must be ready to enroll students in 2006-07 and must operate for three years. To the maximum extent possible, students in the pilot projects must receive dual credit through Tech Prep or Running Start.

In addition to enrolling students in career and technical programs that enable them to enter into apprenticeships upon graduation, pilot projects may also do the following:

• develop or modify curriculum to align with apprenticeship entry requirements and skill expectations or to adjust curriculum to the secondary level;
• negotiate agreements for nonmonetary consideration or for no consideration to use local or regional apprenticeship program training facilities to offer programs;
• negotiate agreements with local or regional apprenticeship programs, community or technical colleges, or other contractors to provide specialized instruction within the program;
• negotiate direct-entry agreements with local or regional apprenticeship programs to accept pilot project graduates into the programs;
• conduct marketing, advertising, and communication about the pilot project to area teachers, counselors, students, and parents;
• provide tutoring and other academic support services; and
• offer support services such as counseling, community service referral, and assistance for low-income students such as tools, supplies, books, or transportation to non-school facilities.

Beginning December 1, 2007, the pilot projects must report annually to the WSATC. The WSATC must provide annual summary reports to the Governor and the Legislature. The pilot projects expire August 31, 2009.

Funding for Pilots

The pilots projects are established subject to funding. For a student enrolled in a community or technical college pilot project, funding for the community or technical college must be negotiated by the home school district and the college.

When a student enrolls in a pilot project at a community or technical college, standard tuition fees do not apply.

OSPI Workgroup

Using existing resources, the OSPI must convene a workgroup to identify barriers and opportunities for further expansion and scale-up of pre-apprenticeship programs, including building and construction apprenticeships. Recommendations from the workgroup are due to the Legislature and the Governor by December 1, 2006. The workgroup expires on August 31, 2009.

The workgroup must include representatives from the WSATC, local or regional apprenticeship programs, community and technical colleges, high schools, and Skill Centers. Issues to be considered by the workgroup may include:

• expanding participation and opportunities in Running Start for career-technical students, including the role of using parent involvement in guidance and counseling for students;
• highly qualified teacher requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act;
• cross-crediting of career-technical and core academic courses;
• the funding model for Skill Centers;
• benchmarks to measure outcomes from the pilot projects; and
• the impact of current student assessment and achievement requirements on student participation in apprenticeship preparation programs and opportunities for developing alternative assessment and achievement requirements.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   94   4
Senate   42   2   (Senate amended)
House   89   6   (House concurred)

Effective: April 1, 2006