BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-12 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 848
AUTHOR: Campos
AMENDED: May 11, 2011
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 22, 2011
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : Apprenticeship programs.
SUMMARY
This bill requires programs receiving state apprenticeship
funding for building and trade programs to report specified
outcome data annually.
BACKGROUND
The Shelley-Mahoney Apprentice Labor Standards Act of 1939
established the California Apprenticeship Council (CAC) and
governs apprenticeship programs in California. The
California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS)
certifies apprenticeship programs in accordance with
standards set by the CAC and state and federal laws. (Labor
Code § 3070 et seq.)
Article 8 on apprenticeship education was added to the
California Education Code in 1980 and contains authorizations
and procedures for the California Department of Education and
participating local education agencies to follow in the
administration of apprenticeship related and supplemental
instruction. Procedures explained include the reporting of
attendance and reimbursement of instructional time at the
rate designated in the annual Budget Act. Initial additions
to this section in the code were made in 1983 and include
provisions for the development of agreements and an annual
review of enrollment and funding levels. (Education Code §
8150 et seq.)
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI)
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or the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges
(CCC) to require recipients of reimbursements for
related and supplemental instruction (RSI) provided to
apprentices in the building and construction trades to
report specified information prior to receiving
reimbursement.
a) Requires programs to report the number and
percentage of those apprentices who have received
postsecondary educational credit and the amount of
credit earned, and the number and percentage of
apprentice graduates who completed a postsecondary
degree.
2) Requires the SPI or the Chancellor to determine the
format for collection and presentation of the required
information so as to best convey pupil progress toward
degree completion for each participating institution
and, upon request, provide the information to the
Division of Apprenticeship Standards in the Department
of Industrial Relations.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Apprenticeship programs . Apprenticeship programs are
postsecondary educational programs that prepare
participants for specific high-skill occupations.
Programs typically include theoretical instruction and
on-the-job training and last from one to six years,
depending upon the trade. (Most programs are about four
years long.) The technical instruction component of an
apprenticeship program usually takes place in a public
school and often in a community college. 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. Program completers earn a Certificate of
Completion of Apprenticeship from the Division of
Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) indicating the holder is
prepared to serve at the journeyperson level in the
trade specified. Apprenticeship training programs must
be certified by the DAS and operate in accordance with
standards set by the CAC and state and federal laws.
2) Need for the bill : According to the sponsor of this
measure, the State Building and Construction Trades
Council, some two-year colleges offer credit for the
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education received in the apprenticeship program that
may enable workers to use the accumulated college
credits to complete educational goals later in life.
According to the author, there is currently no data on
which community colleges offer credit for apprenticeship
programs that the DAS could use to advise those pursuing
postsecondary opportunities. While providing
information about the availability of college credit
could be useful information for the DAS to include on
its Internet Web site, the outcome data that would be
collected pursuant to this measure do not appear to be
related to that purpose. According to the author's
office, the purpose of AB 848 is to provide data
identifying the number of apprentices in state-approved
apprenticeship programs receiving postsecondary
educational credits so the State and apprenticeship
stakeholders may assess the data for possible
improvements and uniformity in credit allocation. While
it is not clear what problems exist that suggest the
need to improve the uniformity of credit allocation, the
data collected pursuant to this bill could provide an
additional lens for examining program quality .
SUPPORT
California Labor Federation
State Building and Construction Trades Council
OPPOSITION
Associated Builders and Contractors of California