Bill Text: NJ A3803 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Enhances, and allocates funds for, pre-apprenticeship programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee [A3803 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A3803-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN ARMATO
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Enhances, and allocates funds for, pre-apprenticeship programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning pre-apprenticeship programs and amending P.L.1992, c.43 and P.L.1993, c.268.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 6 of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-6) is amended to read as follows:
6. a. Each consortium which is awarded a grant from the partnership shall establish a pre-apprenticeship, or school-to-apprenticeship linkage program, for high school students, which shall include the development of the curriculum which will best prepare students to qualify for apprenticeships established under the grant, thus encouraging high school completion and increasing graduation rates. Grants may also be provided to a consortium pursuant to this section to create new pre-apprenticeship, or linkage, programs for existing apprenticeship programs. The pre-apprenticeship, or linkage program may include workplace experience, but not in violation of applicable child labor standards, and shall not involve any reduction of the classroom time of a participating student or of academic standards, other than reductions in classroom time mutually agreed to by all of the entities participating in the consortium pursuant to subsection a. of section 5 of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-5). The provisions of this section shall not be construed as prohibiting nontraditional scheduling of classroom time. If the pre-apprenticeship, or school-to-apprenticeship linkage, program includes a workplace experience component:
(1) The student shall be regarded as a student learner [and subject to the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1993, c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill, No. 2619)] entitled to all of the benefits and services provided to student learners pursuant to P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.);
(2) The workplace experience component of the student learner shall be regarded as a cooperative vocational [education and subject to the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1993, c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill, No. 2619)] experience subject to all applicable standards promulgated by the State Department of Education and the State Department of Labor and Workforce Development for cooperative vocational experiences, including requirements that work is under the direct supervision of a qualified person, and that the student learner be provided an individualized training plan outlining the tasks to be performed and the progression of learning experiences, and the safety instruction and occupational competencies to be learned; and
(3) Employers participating in the consortium who hire student learners shall do so based on recommendations of the students' educational institutions which give consideration to the overall academic achievement of the students.
To the greatest extent permitted by federal law, a participating employer shall also consider the overall academic achievement of students when selecting apprentices under the grant.
b. Each pre-apprenticeship, or school-to-apprenticeship, linkage program shall include counseling, recruitment, training in life skills, including communication, working in teams, and meeting employer expectations, training in needed basic math and literacy skills, including one-to-one tutoring, and supportive services, including child care for student learners who are parents and transportation assistance, and other services as are needed to maximize program participation by women, [and] minority-group members, and individuals with disabilities, who are economically disadvantaged individuals, have barriers to employment, or both. The objectives of these services shall include increasing the success of women in nontraditional employment and encouraging greater academic achievement among at-risk and other students.
c. Employers and other participants in a consortium, when selecting applicants to participate in their apprenticeship programs, shall give first priority to applicants who have successfully completed the pre-apprenticeship programs and have met all other requirements for entering the apprenticeship programs.
d. Each grant awarded to a consortium shall provide that not less than 25% of the grant funds be used for a pre-apprenticeship, or school-to-apprenticeship, linkage program established pursuant to this section.
(cf: P.L.1993, c.268, s.6)
2. Section 9 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-9) is amended to read as follows:
9. a. A restricted, nonlapsing, revolving Workforce Development Partnership Fund, to be managed and invested by the State Treasurer, is hereby established to: provide employment and training services to qualified displaced, disadvantaged and employed workers by means of training grants or customized training services; provide for the other costs indicated in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-4); provide for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program as provided for in section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26); provide for the Talent Network Program as provided for in section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125 (C.34:15D-29); and facilitate the provision of education and training to youth by means of grants provided by the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et al.). All appropriations to the fund, all interest accumulated on balances in the fund and all cash received for the fund from any other source shall be used solely for the purposes specifically delineated by this act.
b. During any fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2001, of the total revenues dedicated to the program during any one fiscal year:
(1) 25% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide employment and training services for qualified displaced workers, and through fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified displaced workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.);
(2) 6% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide employment and training services for qualified disadvantaged workers, and through fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified disadvantaged workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.);
(3) 37% prior to July 1, 2020, and 35% after June 30, 2020 shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for and appropriated to the Office of Customized Training;
(4) 5% prior to July 1, 2020, and 7% after June 30, 2020 shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership created pursuant to P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.);
(5) 3% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for occupational safety and health training;
(6) 5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for and appropriated to the Talent Network Program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125 (C.34:15D-29);
(7) 3% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26);
(8) 10% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for administrative costs as defined in section 3 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-3);
(9) 0.5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the State Employment and Training Commission to design criteria and conduct an annual evaluation of the program; and
(10) 5.5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund to be used, at the discretion of the commissioner, for any of the purposes indicated in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-4).
c. Beginning January 1, 1995, through June 30, 2002, the balance in the fund as of the previous December 31, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, shall not exceed 1.5 times the amount of contributions deposited for the calendar year then ended. If the balance exceeds this amount, the excess shall be deposited into the unemployment compensation fund within seven business days of the date that the determination is made.
d. Beginning July 1, 2002, and for any subsequent fiscal year, if the unexpended cash balance in any of the accounts indicated in subsection b. of this section, except for the account reserved for the Talent Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but not yet disbursed from the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount of contributions collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this subsection during the fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be regarded as an unemployment compensation contribution and deposited into the unemployment compensation fund within seven business days of the date that the determination is made. If the unexpended cash balance in the account reserved for the Talent Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but not yet disbursed from the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount of contributions collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this subsection during the fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be deposited into the Workforce Development Partnership Fund account reserved for the Office of Customized Training.
e. Upon the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), in addition to the amount deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership pursuant to subsection b. of this section, $1,000,000 shall be allocated to the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership from the $34,500,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act for State fiscal year 2020 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding the NJ Apprenticeship Network, the Career Accelerator Internship Program, the Workforce Development Policy and Evaluation Lab, the NJ Career Network, and such other priority additional workforce initiatives recommended by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.252, s.3)
3. This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill enhances and expands the State's current initiatives under the "Youth Transitions to Work Partnership Act," (P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.) to establish pre-apprenticeship programs to assist young people to enter into apprenticeship programs with links to post-secondary education and credentials.
The bill increases funding for the Youth Transitions to Work (YTTW) Partnership and requires that consortia which receive YTTW grants use at least 25 percent of the grants for pre-apprenticeship programs. The bill enhances the services provided to program participants by adding training in life skills, including communication, working in teams, and meeting employer expectations, training, including one-to-one tutoring in needed basic math and literacy skills, and supportive services in addition to those provided in current law. The bill requires the consortia to maximize participation not only by women and minority group members, but by individuals with disabilities as well.
Finally, the bill requires employers and other participants in the consortia, when selecting applicants to participate in their apprenticeship programs, to give first priority to applicants who have successfully completed the pre-apprenticeship programs and have met all other requirements for entering the apprenticeship programs.
