CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1013

Chapter 128, Laws of 2023

68TH LEGISLATURE

2023 REGULAR SESSION

REGIONAL APPRENTICESHIP PREPARATION PILOT PROGRAM

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 23, 2023

SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1013

ByHouse Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Maycumber, Santos, Ybarra, Stonier, Dent, Goodman, Tharinger, Riccelli, Lekanoff, Rude, Walen, Robertson, Mosbrucker, Berry, Stokesbary, Fey, Harris, McClintock, Bronoske, Waters, Duerr, Hackney, Klicker, Kretz, Couture, Barnard, Walsh, Chapman, Griffey, Chopp, Leavitt, Ryu, Low, Barkis, Simmons, Schmidt, Sandlin, Bateman, Reed, Graham, Christian, Timmons, Pollet, Street, Rule, Connors, Cortes, Callan, Doglio, Orwall, Caldier, Reeves, Wylie, Bergquist, Thai, Kloba, Cheney, and Ormsby)

AN ACT Relating to establishing regional apprenticeship programs through educational service districts; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.300.196; adding new sections to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Regional apprenticeship preparation programs are one approach to help coordinate the state's educational offerings with local resources, work-integrated learning opportunities, and future career pathways.

To assist these efforts, the legislature intends to encourage the development of a state-recognized and regionally serving regional apprenticeship preparation pilot program and associated supports. Examples of these supports include funding for staff to oversee the program and other funding needed to establish the program and secure necessary agreements with local stakeholders including unions, state registered apprenticeship programs, and school districts. The legislature intends for this program to be known as the regional apprenticeship preparation pilot program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction and educational service districts shall establish the regional apprenticeship preparation pilot program.

(2) The purpose of the pilot program is to identify common best practices and processes for establishing regional apprenticeship preparation programs that support postsecondary success for students and strengthen community engagement in schools and school districts.

(3) The pilot program must consist of five sites: Three located west of the crest of the Cascade mountains; and two located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains. The office of the superintendent of public instruction and educational service districts must ensure that the sites are geographically dispersed, with one western Washington site located in a school district with a collaboratively developed regional apprenticeship pathways program, and a second western Washington site located in a school district with a preapprenticeship program recognized by the Washington state apprenticeship and training council after July 1, 2021, but before September 1, 2021. The eastern Washington sites must also be geographically dispersed and at least one eastern Washington site must be located in an educational service district with rural communities that lack convenient access to skill centers or other workforce development facilities or programs.

(4) In implementing the pilot program, the educational service districts must:

(a) Ensure that the pilot program is:

(i) An education-based apprenticeship preparation program recognized by the Washington state apprenticeship and training council; and

(ii) Developed as a collaborative partnership involving local school districts, charter schools, state-tribal compact schools, community or technical colleges, local labor unions, local Washington state apprenticeship and training council registered apprenticeship programs, and local industry groups;

(b) Provide students with dual credit opportunities to meet high school graduation requirements and earn credit toward a postsecondary degree or industry recognized credential;

(c) Provide students with preferred or direct entry into an aligned state registered apprenticeship program; and

(d) Provide data requested by the office of the superintendent of public instruction to support the evaluation required by section 3 of this act.

(5) For the purposes of this section, "apprenticeship preparation program," also referred to as a preapprenticeship program, means an apprenticeship preparation program that is recognized by the Washington state apprenticeship and training council.

(6) This section expires June 30, 2027.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with the state board for community and technical colleges, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, the Washington association for career and technical education, and the work-integrated learning advisory committee established in RCW 28A.300.196, must evaluate the pilot program established in section 2 of this act and best practices for increasing:

(a) Awareness about career and technical education, including participation in career and technical student organizations, dual credit opportunities, core plus, and career and technical education course equivalencies;

(b) Awareness about preapprenticeship and postsecondary career opportunities for students and employers;

(c) The availability and variety of dual credit and industry-related and postsecondary articulation opportunities; and

(d) Community and industry support for preapprenticeships, internships, externships, and all work-integrated learning opportunities.

(2)(a) By June 30, 2027, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must report the results of the evaluation to the governor, the state board of education, the student achievement council, the workforce training and education coordinating board, and, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the appropriate committees of the legislature.

(b) The report required by this subsection (2) must include: An analysis of barriers to the establishment and support of recognized apprenticeship preparation programs and work-integrated instructional programs; recommended policies to implement recognized apprenticeship preparation programs and work-integrated strategies that increase the college and career readiness of students statewide; and recommendations for legislative action to establish common standards for the operations of regional apprenticeship preparation programs and other work-integrated learning opportunities, and authorize additional regional apprenticeship preparation programs and other work-integrated learning opportunities. The report may also include recommendations for actions to improve the cohesion, coordination, and quality of work-integrated learning opportunities, including regional apprenticeship preparation programs, throughout the state.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "apprenticeship preparation program" has the same meaning as in section 2 of this act.

(4) This section expires June 30, 2027.

Sec. 4. RCW 28A.300.196 and 2018 c 206 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the employment security department and the workforce training and education coordinating board, shall convene a work-integrated learning advisory committee to provide advice to the legislature and the education and workforce sectors on creating opportunities for students to: Explore and understand a wide range of career-related opportunities through applied learning; engage with industry mentors; and plan for career and college success.

(2) The committee shall:

(a) Assist the office of the superintendent of public instruction in the development of an application process and the selection of local applicant schools to participate in the initiative established in RCW 28A.630.135;

(b) Advise the superintendent of public instruction on the development and implementation of work-integrated learning instructional programs;

(c) Review the instructional programs of projects funded through the career connect Washington program with grant moneys from the federal workforce innovation and opportunity act, P.L. 113-128, related to work-integrated learning, a type of learning that is also referred to as "career connected learning," and of local applicant schools selected to develop and implement work-integrated learning project programs under RCW 28A.630.135. The purpose of the review required by this subsection (2)(c) is to determine:

(i) The impact on in-school progress, high school graduation rates, state test scores, indicators of career and college readiness, employment outcomes, and community partnerships. In accordance with this subsection (2)(c), and to the maximum extent practicable, the review must consider both overall impacts and reductions or other changes in opportunity gaps;

(ii) Best practices for partnering with industry and the local community to create opportunities for applied learning through internships, externships, registered youth apprenticeships, and mentorships; and

(iii) Best practices for linking high school and beyond plans with work-integrated and career-related learning opportunities and increasing college readiness;

(d) Analyze barriers to statewide adoption of work-integrated and career-related learning opportunities and instructional programs;

(e) Recommend policies to implement work-integrated and career-related strategies that increase college and career readiness of students statewide. Policies recommended under this subsection (2)(e) may include, but are not limited to: (i) Policies related to aligning career and technical education programs with statewide and local industry projections and career cluster needs evidenced through economic development data and appropriate longitudinal data; and (ii) the completion of remedial courses required by colleges and universities;

(f) Consult with individuals from the public and private sectors with expertise in career and technical education and work-integrated training, including representatives of labor unions, professional technical organizations, and business and industry; and

(g) ((Work collaboratively, as appropriate, with the expanded learning opportunities advisory council as provided in chapter . . ., Laws of 2018 (Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2802)))Collaborate in the evaluation required by section 3 of this act.

(3) The committee must, at a minimum, be composed of the following members:

(a) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate;

(b) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(c) The superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee;

(d) One educator representing the K-12 career and technical education sector, appointed by the superintendent of public instruction, as determined from recommendations of the association for career and technical education;

(e) One school counselor appointed by the superintendent of public instruction, as determined from recommendations of the school counselor association;

(f) One educator representing the community and technical colleges, appointed by the state board for community and technical colleges;

(g) One member of the governor's office specializing in career and technical education and workforce needs, appointed by the governor; and

(h) One member of the workforce training and education coordinating board, designated by the workforce training and education coordinating board.

(4) The committee shall convene a subcommittee that includes members representing manufacturing, industry, labor, apprenticeships, and other members with specialized expertise.

(5) The chair or cochairs of the committee and subcommittee must be selected by the members of the committee.

(6) Staff support for the committee and the subcommittee must be provided by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(7) The committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the state board for community and technical colleges, the state board of education, the student achievement council, and, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the education committees and economic development committees of the house of representatives and the senate by July 1, 2022.

(8) This section expires ((September 1, 2022))June 30, 2027.

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