The Florida Senate
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.)
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Education Postsecondary
BILL: SB 1060
INTRODUCER: Senator Ingoglia
SUBJECT: Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Direct Funding Grant Program
DATE: March 21, 2023 REVISED:
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Brick Bouck HE Favorable
2. AED
3. AP
I. Summary:
SB 1060 creates the Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Direct Funding Grant Program to
provide state funding directly to apprenticeship or preapprenticeship programs. The grant
program is to be administered by the Department of Education.
The grant program established in the bill is subject to an appropriation in the General
Appropriations Act.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2023.
II. Present Situation:
Federal and State Administration of Apprenticeships
Federal Apprenticeship Initiatives
The National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 (also known as the Fitzgerald Act in honor of its
author, Congressman William J. Fitzgerald)1 delegates to the U.S. Secretary of Labor the
responsibility to formulate and promote labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of
apprentices.2
Today there are over 23,000 programs in the United States. In an effort to expand the model to
new industries, the U.S. Department of Labor in 2015 launched the American Apprenticeship
Initiative, awarding $175 million to “earn-and-learn” partnerships across the country. These
partnerships between employers, organized labor, non-profits, local governments, and
1
U.S. Department of Labor, History and Fitzgerald Act, http://www.doleta.gov/oa/history.cfm (last visited Feb. 27, 2023).
See 29 U.S.C. s. 50 (1937), as amended.
2
29 U.S.C. s. 50.
BILL: SB 1060 Page 2
educational institutions have expanded the registered apprenticeship program model to new
sectors, from transportation and advanced manufacturing to health care and information
technology, registering over 24,000 new apprentices. Since the launch of the first American
Apprenticeship Initiative grants, the Department of Labor has invested in state and competitive
grants to continue apprenticeship expansion efforts.3
The Department of Labor awarded Florida an Apprenticeship State Expansion Grant of
$3,078,257 to use by June 30, 2023. In addition, Florida is utilizing the Governor’s Emergency
Education Relief Fund under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations
Act of 2021 to provide $10.5 Million to eligible postsecondary institutions to start new or expand
existing apprenticeship or preapprenticeship programs in high-wage and high-demand
occupations.4
Registered apprenticeship programs are, by definition, eligible training providers of programs
funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA),5 which is the primary
federal workforce development program.6 WIOA funds may be utilized to pay for training
apprentices, including:
Incumbent Worker Training to pay for training and instruction of current apprentices;
Customized Training for eligible instruction costs;
On-the-Job Training (OJT) contracts to pay for employer’s extraordinary costs of training;
and
Individual Training Accounts to pay for training and instruction of new apprentices. 7
The federal government also offers other resources to assist with funding registered
apprenticeship programs. These resources include:8
Federal Student Aid funds;
Federal Workforce Funds for Registered Apprenticeship;
GI Bill and Veterans Programs;
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
Federal Highway Administration On-the-Job Training and Supportive Services Program; and
Covered Housing and Urban Development Financial Assistance Programs
Preapprenticeship is emphasized under WIOA as a form of work experience for youth.9 Other
federal programs also support preapprenticeship. Job Corps provides a mostly residential
program free of charge to students from 16 to 24 years of age with vocational training and
academic experiences to increase opportunities towards gainful employment and career
3
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, The Federal Resources Playbook for Registered
Apprenticeship, available at https://www.doleta.gov/oa/federalresources/playbook.pdf, at 4.
4
Florida Department of Education, Florida’s Annual Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Report (2022), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/9904/urlt/2122ApprenticeshipReport.pdf, at 8 and 28.
5
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. s. 3101 et seq.
6
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, The Federal Resources Playbook for Registered
Apprenticeship, available at https://www.doleta.gov/oa/federalresources/playbook.pdf, at 5.
7
Id.
8
Id.
9
29 U.S.C. s. 3164(c)(2)(C)(ii).
BILL: SB 1060 Page 3
pathways.10 In addition, the YouthBuild program, which provides disadvantaged youth with
opportunities for employment, education, leadership development, and training through the
rehabilitation or construction of public facilities and housing for homeless individuals and low-
income families, prioritizes preapprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs. 11
Apprenticeship in Florida
The federal government works in cooperation with states to oversee the nation’s apprenticeship
programs. At least one member of the State Workforce Development Board and every local
workforce development board is required to be a representative of an apprenticeship program.12
The states have the authority to register apprenticeship programs through federally-recognized
State Apprenticeship Agencies.13 In Florida, the Department of Education (DOE) serves as the
registering entity to ensure compliance with federal and state apprenticeship standards, provide
technical assistance, and conduct quality assurance assessments.14
Work-based learning opportunities in Florida are encouraged to prioritize paid experiences, such
as apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs.15 In addition, there are nine industry
certifications for apprenticeship and preapprenticeship certificates on the CAPE Industry
Certification Funding List for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which provides bonus funding to school
districts and Florida College System institutions for the attainment by student of credentials
included on the list.16 Apprenticeships and preapprenticeships may also include other CAPE
industry certifications that an apprentice or preapprentice earns while progressing toward the
certificate for completing the apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs
Florida law defines an apprentice as a person at least 16 years of age who has entered into a
written apprentice agreement with an employer, an association of employers, or a local joint
apprenticeship committee, to learn a recognized skilled trade through actual work experience
under the supervision of another worker who has completed an apprenticeship program or has
worked in the field for a minimum number of years established by industry standard. Training
for an apprentice should be combined with properly coordinated studies of related technical and
supplementary subjects.17
An apprenticeship program must be registered and approved by the DOE,18 which is responsible
for establishing minimum standards for registered apprenticeship programs and facilitating and
10
USDOL, US Department of Labor Announces Nationwide Effort to Prepare Students at Job Corps Centers for Registered
Apprenticeship Programs (Nov. 2022), https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20221114-0 (last visited
Feb. 21, 2023).
11
29 U.S.C. s. 3226(c)(2)(A).
12
29 U.S.C. ss. 3111(b)(1)(C)(ii)(II) and 3122(b)(2)(B)(ii).
13
29 C.F.R. ss. 29.1 and 29.13.
14
29 C.F.R. s. 29.2.
15
Section 446.0915, F.S.
16
Florida Department of Education, CAPE Industry Certification Funding List: 2022-23, available at
https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/cape-secondary/cape-industry-cert-funding-list-current.stml.
17
Section 446.021(2), F.S.
18
Section 446.021(6), F.S.
BILL: SB 1060 Page 4
supervising registered apprenticeship programs.19 In the 2021-2022 program year, the DOE
registered 27 new apprenticeship programs for a total of 275 programs training 15,479
apprentices. Of these apprentices, 1,917 completed a program and received an apprenticeship
certificate and an average exit annual salary of $49,629.20
Registered Preapprenticeship Programs
A preapprenticeship program is designed to prepare individuals who are at least 16 years of age
for an apprenticeship program, and must be sponsored by a registered apprenticeship program
and approved by and registered with the DOE.21 The DOE administers the state responsibilities
related to preapprenticeship programs in cooperation with district school boards and state college
boards of trustees.22 Additionally, Florida law requires cooperation between district school
boards, community college district boards of trustees, and registered apprenticeship program
sponsors.23
A preapprenticeship program is required to include:
Training and curriculum that aligns with the skill needs of the workforce;
Access to educational and career counseling;
Hands-on, meaningful learning activities that are connected to education and training
activities;
Opportunities to attain at least one industry-recognized credential; and
A partnership with one or more registered apprenticeship programs.24
In the 2021-2022 program year, the DOE registered 16 new preapprenticeship programs for a
total of 53 programs training 1,700 preapprentices.25
Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program
The Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program provides grants to high schools,
state and technical colleges, and other apprenticeship and preapprenticeship program sponsors,
on a competitive basis, to establish or expand apprenticeship or preapprenticeship programs
programs. The DOE is authorized to use up to $200,000 of the total amount allocated to
administer the grant program.26
Applications are required to include projected enrollment and projected costs for the new or
expanded apprenticeship program. The department is required to award grants for
preapprenticeship or apprenticeship programs with demonstrated regional demand that:
19
Section 446.041, F.S.
20
Florida Department of Education, Florida’s Annual Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Report (2022), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/9904/urlt/2122ApprenticeshipReport.pdf, at 7.
21
Section 446.021(5), F.S.
22
Section 446.052(2), F.S.
23
Section 446.052, F.S.
24
20 C.F.R. s. 681.480.
25
Florida Department of Education, Florida’s Annual Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Report (2022), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/9904/urlt/2122ApprenticeshipReport.pdf, at 7.
26
Section 1011.802(5), F.S.
BILL: SB 1060 Page 5
Address a critical statewide or regional shortage as identified by the Labor Market
Estimating Conference and are industry sectors not adequately represented throughout the
state, such as health care;
Address a critical statewide or regional shortage as identified by the Labor Market
Estimating Conference; or
Expand existing programs that exceed the median completion rate and employment rate one
year after completion of similar programs in the region, or the state if there are no similar
programs in the region.27
Grant funds may be used for instructional equipment, supplies, instructional personnel, student
services, and other direct expenses associated with the creation or expansion of an apprenticeship
program. Grant recipients must submit quarterly reports in a format prescribed by the DOE,
which annually publishes a report on its website.28
For the 2022-2023 program year, the Legislature appropriated $15 Million, and reappropriated
approximately $2.9 Million, for the Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program.29
As of December 5, 2022, the DOE has provided $16.5 Million in grants to 50 district school
boards, state colleges, and registered apprenticeship programs.30
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
SB 1060 creates s. 1011.8031, F.S., to establish the Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Direct
Funding Grant Program to provide funding directly to apprenticeship or preapprenticeship
programs, rather than funding such programs through a local educational agency. The grant
program is to be administered by the Department of Education (DOE).
The bill requires an apprenticeship or a preapprenticeship program to submit an application in a
format prescribed by the DOE to receive a grant under the progam. The bill specifies that an
apprenticeship or a preapprenticeship program is ineligible for a grant if the program uses any
school district or Florida College System institution resources for the administration of the
program. The bill requires the DOE to give priority to apprenticeship or preapprenticeship
programs with demonstrated regional demand.
The bill authorizes the State Board of Education to adopt rules to administer the grant program.
The bill is subject to appropriation provided in the General Appropriations Act.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2023.
27
Sections 1011.802(2) and (3), F.S.
28
Sections 1011.802(3) and (4), F.S.
29
Transparency Florida, 2022-2023 Operating Budget in Ledger Format,
http://www.transparencyflorida.gov/OperatingBudget/Ledger.aspx?FY=22&BE=48250800&AC=051310&Fund=1000&LI=
123&OB=Y&SC=F, (last visited Feb. 27, 2023).
30
Florida Department of Education, Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program, PCOG Prioritized Funding List
(Statewide Competition), https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/18794/urlt/22-23PCOG-PFLStatewide.pdf. and PCOG
Prioritized Funding List (Space Coast Competition) (last visited Feb. 27, 2023).
BILL: SB 1060 Page 6
IV. Constitutional Issues:
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions:
None.
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues:
None.
C. Trust Funds Restrictions:
None.
D. State Tax or Fee Increases:
None.
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None.
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
None.
C. Government Sector Impact:
The Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship Direct Funding Grant Program is subject to an
appropriation provided in the General Appropriations Act.
VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
The bill creates section 1011.8031 of the Florida Statutes.
BILL: SB 1060 Page 7
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
None.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.