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:
C.34:15E-6 School-to-apprenticeship linkage program, establishment.
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 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 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, 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.
2. Section 9 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-9) is amended to read as follows:
C.34:15D-9 Workforce Development Partnership Fund.
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.); and during any fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2019, 0.5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for an appropriated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the Apprenticeship Start-Up Grant Program created pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2019, c.417 (C.34:15D-6.1);
(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, 2022, and 35% after June 30, 2022 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, 2022, and 7% after June 30, 2022 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