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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 685
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 5752
Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
Introduced by:
(HED)
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE APPRENTICESHIP AND E MPLOYMENT
RECRUITMENT AUTHORIT Y.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "High-growth industries" means the health care, insurance, 2
science, technology, including, but not limited to, financial technology 3
and biotechnology, engineering, mathematics, manufacturing, 4
construction trades and hospitality industries; 5
(2) "Preapprenticeship program" means a program that prepares 6
individuals for an apprenticeship program. 7
(b) The Labor Commissioner, in collaboration with the Board of 8
Regents for Higher Education, shall establish a committee to 9
coordinate, establish and modernize apprenticeship training programs 10
in the state. Such committee shall include, but not be limited to, (1) at 11
least one representative from the Department of Economic and 12
Community Development, the Department of Education, the 13
Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, the Technical Education 14
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and Career System, the Culture and Tourism Advisory Committee, the 15
Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board, a chamber of 16
commerce, the Connecticut Hospital Association, the Associated 17
Builders and Contractors of Connecticut, the advanced manufacturing 18
centers at the regional community-technical colleges, the Connecticut 19
Conference of Independent Colleges, the Connecticut Employment 20
and Training Commission, state-wide manufacturing associations and 21
employee organizations, and (2) school teachers and guidance 22
counselors. 23
(c) On or before July 1, 2020, the committee established pursuant to 24
subsection (b) of this section, in consultation with representatives from 25
high-growth industries, shall (1) evaluate whether current 26
preapprenticeship and apprenticeship training programs available to 27
state residents meet workforce needs and a comparison to European 28
apprenticeship training programs, including the programs in Germany 29
and Switzerland, (2) develop and administer a program to introduce 30
middle school and high school students, parents and guidance 31
counselors to careers in high-growth industries, (3) develop a best 32
practices guide to help local and regional boards of education to 33
incorporate partnerships with high-growth industries in the middle 34
and high school curricula, and (4) identify any obstacles to instituting 35
preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs in the state and 36
develop plans for overcoming such obstacles. 37
(d) On or before January 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the 38
committee established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall 39
report on subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, of subsection (c) of this 40
section, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 41
general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General 42
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education 43
and employment advancement, commerce and labor. 44
(e) On or before July 1, 2020, and on or before August first annually 45
thereafter, the committee established pursuant to subsection (b) of this 46
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section shall compile a catalog of preapprenticeship and 47
apprenticeship programs offered by public and independent 48
institutions of higher education in the state that offer training in high-49
growth industries. Such catalog shall include for each program: (1) The 50
degree, certification, license or credential awarded upon completion; 51
(2) the period of time and requirements for completion; (3) the 52
enrollment process; and (4) the cost of attendance. The Labor 53
Commissioner shall make such catalog available on the Internet web 54
site of the Labor Department and distribute such catalog to each local 55
and regional board of education. 56
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To establish a committee to coordinate and modernize
preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs in various industries
in the state.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. SOMERS, 18th Dist.; SEN. FORMICA, 20th Dist.
SEN. MARTIN, 31st Dist.
S.B. 685