Bill Text: NJ A4499 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes agricultural apprenticeship program in DOLWD.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-03-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee [A4499 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A4499-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes agricultural apprenticeship program in DOLWD.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing an agricultural apprenticeship program and supplementing P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Beginner farmer" means an individual with less than five years of farm management experience.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.
"Committee" means the State Agriculture Development Committee established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1983, c.31 (C.4:1C-4).
"Department" means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
"Established farmer" means an individual with at least five years of farm management experience.
"Farm" means a parcel or parcels of land, whether contiguous or noncontiguous, together with agricultural or horticultural buildings, structures, and facilities, producing agricultural or horticultural products, and operated as a single enterprise.
"Host farm" means the farm owned and operated by an established farmer.
"Program" means the agricultural apprenticeship program established pursuant to section 2 of this act.
"Program participant" means an individual whose application has been accepted into the program.
2. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the State Agriculture Development Committee, shall establish an agricultural apprenticeship program in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The purpose of the apprenticeship program is to provide mentoring and support services to the next generation of farmers in New Jersey.
3. a. The agriculture apprenticeship program shall be comprised of two stages during which a program participant shall complete the technical instruction and on-the-job training necessary to obtain the relevant apprentice credential.
b. Stage one of the program shall be open to program participants who meet the qualifications established pursuant to subsection a. of section 6 of this act. A program participant who completes stage one of the program shall be awarded a pre-apprenticeship credential. In order to complete stage one, a program participant shall have:
(1) 225 hours of on-the-job training;
(2) 25 hours of technical instruction; and
(3) demonstrated competency in core skill areas in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner.
c. (1) Stage two of the program shall be open to program participants who meet the qualifications established pursuant to subsection b. of section 6 of this act. A program participant who completes stage two of the program shall be awarded an apprenticeship credential. In order to complete stage two, a program participant shall have:
(a) 2,700 hours of on-the-job training over the course of 18 months on a host farm;
(b) 210 hours of technical instruction; and
(c) pass a commissioner-approved assessment on core skill areas.
(2) Stage two program participants shall receive a stipend award through the duration of their participation in the program. The stipend amount and frequency of payments shall be subject to the agreement entered into by the established farmer and department required pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection b. of section 5 of this act.
4. a. The commissioner, in consultation with the committee, shall establish and publish on its Internet website the requirements for on-the-job training, technical instruction, and core skill areas for stage one and stage two of the program.
b. The technical instruction requirements may include attending workshops, field days, conferences, farm tours, formal classes, and farmer networking opportunities. The areas of technical instruction may include, but need not be limited to:
(1) farm business planning and financial management;
(2) tractor safety and maintenance;
(3) small engine repair;
(4) food safety;
(5) integrated pest management; and
(6) soil testing.
c. The core skill areas that program participants are to be assessed on may include, but need not be limited to:
(1) crop planning;
(2) harvesting;
(3) handling livestock;
(4) business planning; and
(5) equipment and machinery maintenance.
5. a. Any organization or established farmer in the State that wishes to offer stage one of the program shall apply to the department in a form and manner determined by the commissioner, in consultation with the committee. The organizations and established farmers that are selected to offer stage one of the program shall enter into an agreement with the department in which the organization or established farmer agrees to provide the program participants with the technical instruction and on-the-job training necessary to complete stage one of the program.
b. (1) Established farmers in the State that wish to host a program participant in stage two of the program shall apply to the department in a form and manner determined by the commissioner, in consultation with the committee. The application shall require the established farmer to submit information demonstrating:
(a) that the established farmer has:
(i) a vested interest in training beginner farmers;
(ii) the capacity to support a program participant through mentorship;
(iii) made a commitment to sustainable farming practices; and
(iv) prior experience managing employees, apprentices, or interns; and
(b) the host farm:
(i) has been in business for at least five years;
(ii) produces more than one agricultural or horticultural product; and
(iii) can financially support a full-time employee.
(2) The established farmers selected for stage two of the program shall enter into an agreement with the department in which the established farmer agrees to provide the program participant with a stipend award, and the technical instruction and on-the-job training necessary to complete stage two of the program.
6. a. To be eligible to participate in stage one of the program, an applicant shall be a resident of New Jersey and 14 years of age or older.
b. (1) To be eligible to participate in stage two of the program, an applicant shall:
(a) be 18 years of age or older;
(b) be at least a high school graduate or have earned a General Educational Development (GED) diploma;
(c) have prior farming experience; and
(d) be physically able to perform farm work with reasonable accommodations.
(2) As used in this subsection "farming experience" includes the following:
(a) completion of stage one of the program;
(b) full-time or part-time employment on a farm;
(c) a farming internship or apprenticeship;
(d) participation in a farm training or farm incubator program;
(e) volunteer work on a farm;
(f) community or technical college training in a related field; and
(g) an associate or bachelor's degree in a related field of study.
7. a. An individual who wishes to participate in the program shall submit an application to the department in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, in consultation with the committee. The application shall include, at a minimum:
(1) documentation demonstrating the individual meets the eligibility criteria for the particular stage of the program as set forth in section 6 of this act;
(2) a personal statement detailing the applicant's interest in farming; and
(3) any other information the commissioner and committee deem appropriate.
b. The department may approve applications for the program on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of qualified organizations and experienced farmers to host program participants.
c. Upon approval of the application, the department shall match a program participant with the appropriate organization or established farmer.
8. The department shall include, in each annual budget request submitted to the Legislature, a request for the appropriation of funds in the amount which is deemed by the department, in consultation with the committee, to be sufficient to support and continue program operations and facilitate the achievement of program goals.
9. The department may, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this act.
10. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish an agricultural apprenticeship program (program) in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (department). The purpose of the program would be to provide mentoring and support services to the next generation of farmers in New Jersey. The program would be comprised of two stages during which a program participant would complete the technical instruction and on-the-job training necessary to obtain the relevant apprentice credential. The bill provides certain requirements in order to complete stage one (pre-apprenticeship credential) and stage two (apprenticeship credential) of the program. The bill would require the department to publish on its Internet website the requirements for on-the-job training, technical instruction, and core skill areas for stage one and stage two of the program.
Additionally, the bill provides certain requirements for organizations and established farmers that wish to offer stage one or stage two of the program and eligibility requirements for individuals wishing to apply for stage one or stage two of the program. Under the bill, the program applicant would be required to submit documentation demonstrating the individual meets the eligibility criteria for the particular stage of the program, a personal statement detailing the applicant's interest in farming, and any other information the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development and State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) deem appropriate. The department would accept program participant applications on a rolling basis, subject to availability of organizations and established farmers able to host program participants. Upon acceptance into the program, the program participant would be matched by the department with the appropriate organization or established farmer.
Finally, the bill would require the department to include, in each annual budget request submitted to the Legislature, a request for the appropriation of funds in the amount which is deemed by the department, in consultation with the SADC, to be sufficient to support and continue program operations and facilitate the achievement of program goals.
On March 27, 2025, the SADC published a "Report on Cultivating the Future of Farming in the Garden State." This report was done on behalf of the SADC's Next Generation Farmer Program. The Next Gen Program Team conducted extensive research and gathered input from New Jersey's agricultural community in order to assess the issues facing the next generation of farmers in the State. The program established by this bill responds to the challenges and recommendations provided by the report by providing a path for new and younger farmers to learn and cultivate the experience necessary to sustain the agricultural industry in New Jersey and support current established farmers.
