wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > HB 1013 > Substitute Bill
The legislature finds that state recognized apprenticeship preparation programs, programs that are also referred to as preapprenticeship programs, provide important graduation pathways and future career opportunities to students. These programs also benefit employers, providing them with an opportunity to train students for jobs in industries that are important to local communities.
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.
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.
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.
The pilot program must consist of six sites: Three located west of the crest of the Cascade mountains; and three 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 at least one site located in a school district with a collaboratively developed regional apprenticeship pathways program, and at least one site located in an educational service district with a high percentage of small, rural school districts.
In implementing the pilot program, the educational service districts must:
Ensure that the pilot program is:
An education-based apprenticeship preparation program recognized by the Washington state apprenticeship and training council; and
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;
Provide students with dual credit opportunities to meet high school graduation requirements and earn credit toward a postsecondary degree or industry recognized credential;
Provide students with preferred or direct entry into an aligned state registered apprenticeship program; and
Provide data requested by the office of the superintendent of public instruction to support the evaluation required by section 3 of this act.
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.
This section expires June 30, 2027.
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:
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;
Awareness about preapprenticeship and postsecondary career opportunities for students and employers;
The availability and variety of dual credit and industry-related and postsecondary articulation opportunities; and
Community and industry support for preapprenticeships, internships, externships, and all work-integrated learning opportunities.
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By June 30, 2026, 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.
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.
For the purposes of this section, "apprenticeship preparation program" has the same meaning as in section 2 of this act.
This section expires June 30, 2027.
(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.