Bill Text: CT HB05423 | 2016 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Encouraging Middle School And High School Students To Consider Careers In Manufacturing And Concerning Information Posted On The Labor Department's Apprenticeship Web Site.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2016-06-03 - Signed by the Governor [HB05423 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2016-HB05423-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 5423
AN ACT ENCOURAGING MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CONSIDER CAREERS IN MANUFACTURING AND CONCERNING INFORMATION POSTED ON THE LABOR DEPARTMENT'S APPRENTICESHIP WEB SITE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Commissioner of Education, in collaboration with the Board of Regents for Higher Education, shall establish a committee to coordinate the education of middle school and high school students about careers in manufacturing. Such committee shall include, but not be limited to, (1) representatives from the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Labor Department, the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, the technical high school system, the advanced manufacturing centers at the regional community-technical colleges, independent institutions of higher education in the state that offer training in the field of manufacturing, the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission, manufacturing companies and employee organizations that represent manufacturing workers, and (2) middle and high school teachers and guidance counselors.
(b) On or before January 1, 2017, and on or before August first annually thereafter, the committee established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall compile a catalog of programs at public and independent institutions of higher education in the state that offer training in the field of manufacturing. Such catalog shall include for each program: (1) The degree, certification, license or credential awarded upon completion; (2) the period of time and requirements for completion; (3) the enrollment process; and (4) the cost of attendance. The commissioner shall make such catalog available on the Internet web site of the Department of Education and distribute such catalog to each local and regional board of education.
(c) On or before February 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, the committee established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce and higher education and workforce development an analysis of whether current programs available to Connecticut students are meeting workforce needs. The committee shall consult with members of the manufacturing industry when producing such report.
(d) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the committee established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, shall develop and administer a program to introduce middle school and high school students, their parents or guardians and guidance counselors to careers in manufacturing. Such program may include, but is not limited to, hands-on learning opportunities, posters, videos, pamphlets and social media and other technology to describe and promote modern manufacturing and the programs included in the catalog described in subsection (b) of this section. The commissioner may enter into partnerships with one or more private sector entities to further the goals of such program. Such partnerships may include, but are not limited to, student visits to manufacturers and manufacturer visits to schools in order to give students first hand exposure to modern manufacturing and the products and materials created by manufacturers in the state.
(e) The Department of Education, in consultation with representatives from the manufacturing industry and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, shall develop a best practices guide to help local and regional boards of education to incorporate relationships with manufacturing in their middle school and high school curricula.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than March 1, 2017, the Labor Department shall update the department's Internet web site with regard to the office of apprenticeship training. Such update shall include, but need not be limited to:
(1) Simplification of the process by which current and prospective apprentices and employers may access comprehensive information relating to apprenticeship training on the department's Internet web site;
(2) An accurate list of occupations in which apprentices are employed in the state and the number of apprentices participating in each occupation within the previous calendar year; and
(3) Comprehensive information regarding apprenticeship coursework, including, but not limited to, a list of apprenticeship coursework providers, the Internet web site addresses for such apprenticeship coursework providers, the locations of such apprenticeship coursework providers, the occupations in which such apprenticeship coursework providers offer apprenticeship coursework and the costs associated with such apprenticeship coursework, which shall be accompanied by a disclaimer that cost information is only one factor to be considered in selecting coursework. The department may provide electronic links to such information.
(b) The department shall update the information described in subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (a) of this section as often as practicable, but not less than annually, to improve the efficiency by which current and prospective apprentices and employers may engage in apprenticeships in the state.
(c) Not later than March 31, 2017, the department shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor on the update to the department's Internet web site.