BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 848 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 848 (Campos) As Amended May 11, 2011 Majority vote LABOR & EMPLOYMENT 6-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Swanson, Morrell, Alejo, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield, | | |Allen, Furutani, Yamada | |Bradford, Charles | | | | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, | | | | |Gatto, Hall, Hill, Lara, | | | | |Mitchell, Solorio | | | | | | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| | | |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, | | | | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Requires high schools, school districts, community colleges and other specified entities that receive reimbursements from apprenticeship instruction programs, to report annually, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) or the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (Chancellor), information about the success of the students who participate in apprenticeship programs. Specifically, this bill : 1)Requires the SPI or Chancellor, whichever is appropriate, to require recipients of related and supplemental instructions funding to report annually, prior to receiving reimbursement, information concerning the following: a) The number and percentage of apprentices who have received postsecondary educational credit; b) The amount of credit earned; and, c) The number and percentage of apprentice graduates who have completed a postsecondary degree. 2)Requires the SPI or Chancellor, whichever is appropriate, to determine the format in which the annual report will covey pupil progress toward degree completion for each participating AB 848 Page 2 institution. 3)Requires the SPI or Chancellor, whichever is appropriate, to, upon request, provide the information obtained in this annual report the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS). FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, General Fund administrative costs, likely less than $100,000, to the California Department of Education (CDE) and California Community Colleges (CCCs) to report specified information about building and trade apprenticeship programs, as specified. Current law requires CDE to collect specified information from apprenticeship programs and CCCs contribute program information to this report. COMMENTS : According to the author, there is currently no data provided to DAS on the number of CCCs that offer credit for apprenticeship programs. As a result, DAS is unable to advise apprentices about existing opportunity to purse a postsecondary education during their apprentice training. The author states this bill is the critical first step in identifying the nature in which each CCC district provides credit for apprenticeship. The author notes that the information collected by this process will be assessed by the state and apprenticeship stakeholders and thereby allow improvements and uniformity in postsecondary credit allocation. According to DAS, apprenticeship is a system of learning while earning, and "learning by doing." DAS notes that apprenticeship programs combine training on the job with related and supplemental instruction at school. In addition to training, DAS states that apprentices attend classes to receive technical instruction related to their field. This training usually takes place in a public school and often in a community college setting. According to DAS, the instruction is meant to supplement the apprentices' on the job training and give apprentices a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical aspects of their work. CDE supports related and supplementary instruction (RSI) in 35 regional occupational centers and programs (ROCP) and adult education programs (local education agencies) with over 200 apprenticeship programs supporting over 40,000 registered apprentices. CDE states that funds are appropriated to local AB 848 Page 3 education agencies through the principal apportionment system based on the actual number of hours in RSI coursework. CDE states that each local education agency is capped on the number of hours of instruction it can claim for reimbursement. According to the Chancellor's Office many employers partner with the CCCs or with the CDE's Regional Occupational Programs and Centers and Adult Schools to provide apprenticeship training to their employees. The Chancellor's Office states that CCCs have approximately 25,000 apprentices enrolled in over 160 apprenticeship programs comprised of a total of 66 trades and crafts titles located on 39 campuses. In a letter expressing sponsorship of this bill, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California (SBCTCC) states that credit allocation for apprenticeship programs varies among CCC districts and between CCC campuses. SBCTCC asserts that this bill will help identify how CCC allocate credit for RIS and help provide more uniformity among districts and between campuses. The Associated Builders and Contractors of California (ABC) opposes this bill, arguing that statistics such as these are already reported to the DAS. Information sought by this bill can already be generated by contacting the DAS and asking for program graduation statistics. As a result, ABC believes that this bill adds an unnecessary new cost for gathering information that is already accessible. Analysis Prepared by : Shannon McKinley / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091 FN: 0000923