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AB-299 Career technical education: California Apprenticeship Grant Program.(2021-2022)

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Date Published: 03/15/2021 02:00 PM
AB299:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 15, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 299

Introduced by Assembly Member Villapudua
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Cristina Garcia and Waldron)

January 25, 2021

An act to add Article 6.5 1.7 (commencing with Section 69439.5) 78025) to Chapter 1.7 1 of Part 42 48 of Division 5 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to career technical education.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 299, as amended, Villapudua. Career technical education: California Apprenticeship Grant Program.
Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission to administer state student financial aid programs, including, among other programs, the Cal Grant Program, the Assumption Program of Loans for Education, and the Middle Class Scholarship Program. California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The board of governors appoints the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to serve as the chief executive officer of the segment.
This bill would establish the California Apprenticeship Grant Program, commencing with the 2022–23 academic year, under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide grants to encourage high school pupils, community college students students, and employed and unemployed workers seeking to go into career technical education and vocational programs professions through participation in apprenticeships. qualifying, state-approved apprenticeship programs. Under the bill, the commission chancellor’s office would provide supplemental grants to students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant or for state financial aid and apprentices who participate in approved qualified, state-approved apprenticeship and vocational programs through high schools, campuses of the California Community Colleges. Colleges, and industry-driven and -funded state-approved apprenticeship and vocational programs. The bill would prohibit these grants from exceeding a student’s actual cost of attending a participating community college. replacing any existing financial aid or compensation that an apprentice may receive during apprenticeship training.
The bill would require that specified eligibility criteria to be met by students and apprenticeship employers and programs to participate in the program would to be determined by the commission chancellor’s office in accordance with regulations adopted by the commission. chancellor’s office. The bill would authorize the commission chancellor’s office to adopt emergency regulations, as specified, to carry out the purposes of the bill. The bill would make the operation of the program in any fiscal year contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation, in the Budget Act or another statute, of an amount deemed sufficient by the commission chancellor’s office to implement the program for that fiscal year.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Career technical education is critical to meeting the state’s workforce needs.
(b) If current trends continue, roughly one-third of new jobs in the state will require some training beyond high school but less than a four-year degree.
(c) In California there are 75,000 apprentices today. The state’s goal, as stated in the 2016–2020 California State Workforce Plan, is to double the number of apprenticeships by 2026 from 64,000 to 128,000.
(d) Community colleges, state-approved apprenticeships, and vocational trade schools provide young and old individuals with opportunities to learn skills and have a high-paying career without the need to attain a two-year or four-year college degree.
(e) Currently, the state provides grants to students attending the University of California, the California State University, a campus of the California Community Colleges, or qualifying independent and career colleges or technical schools located in the state that help them cover education and other related costs, such as food and housing.
(f) That is not the case for most students participating in apprenticeships through a community college-sponsored program or enlisted in industry-sponsored and -funded state-approved apprenticeship or vocational programs.

(c)Community colleges are the primary providers of career technical education. Although

(g) Although the state provides financial aid to most of these students, the students who participate in an apprenticeship through a community college-sponsored program, it is not enough to cover nontuition costs.
(h) Similarly, although some industry-driven and -funded state-approved apprenticeships pay individuals while they learn on a prorated amount based on experience, there is often no additional financial assistance available while the trainee is working to complete the apprenticeship program. This creates an unnecessary financial burden, and may discourage individuals from pursuing an apprenticeship that leads to a high-paying career.

(d)

(i)  An apprenticeship grant would be valuable to (1) provide students with supplemental income and to encourage them to obtain apprenticeships in their fields of study; and (2) to provide incentives for employers and programs to seek out apprentices and provide on-the-job training in career technical education.
SEC. 2.Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 69439.5) is added to Chapter 1.7 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:

SEC. 2.

 Article 1.7 (commencing with Section 78025) is added to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  1.7. California Apprenticeship Grant Program

69439.5.78025.
 (a) The California Apprenticeship Grant Program is hereby established, commencing with the 2022–23 academic year, under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, chancellor’s office to provide grants to encourage high school pupils, community college students students, and employed and unemployed workers seeking to go into career technical education and vocational programs professions through participation in apprenticeships. qualifying, state-approved apprenticeship programs.
(b) As used in this article, “program” article:
(1) “Chancellor’s office” means the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
(2) “Program” means the California Apprenticeship Grant Program established by this section.

69439.6.78025.3.
 (a) Commencing with the 2022–23 academic year, the commission chancellor’s office shall provide supplemental grants to students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant or for state financial aid under this part and apprentices who participate in approved qualified, state-approved apprenticeship programs through high schools, campuses of the California Community Colleges. Colleges, and industry-driven and -funded state-approved apprenticeship and vocational programs. The amount of a supplemental grant awarded under this article shall not exceed a recipient’s actual cost of attendance at the participating community college. replace any existing financial aid or compensation that an apprentice may receive during apprenticeship training. The amount and duration of supplemental grants awarded under this article shall be determined by the commission chancellor’s office pursuant to regulations adopted by the commission chancellor’s office in accordance with Section 69439.8. 78025.5. However, the duration of a grant provided under this article shall not exceed 24 months from the beginning of the apprenticeship.
(b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this article, a student shall be required to commit to be enrolled in a state-approved apprenticeship or vocational program and to complete a specified amount of hours in an academic semester in an apprenticeship program approved a period of time designated by the commission. chancellor’s office. Participating apprenticeship employers and programs shall register as related and supplemental instruction with the commission chancellor’s office in order for their students to receive grants under this article. The criteria to be met by academic coursework and apprenticeship employers and programs in order to be eligible for participation in the program shall be determined by the commission chancellor’s office pursuant to regulations adopted by the commission chancellor’s office in accordance with Section 69439.8. 78025.5.

69439.8.78025.5.
 (a) The commission chancellor’s office may adopt regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this article as emergency regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). For purposes of Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of those regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, no regulation adopted by the commission chancellor’s office pursuant to this section shall remain in effect for more than 180 days unless the commission chancellor’s office complies with all relevant provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

69439.9.78025.7.
 The operation of this program in any fiscal year is contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation, in the Budget Act or another statute, of an amount deemed sufficient by the commission chancellor’s office to implement this article for that fiscal year.