BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 520
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Date of Hearing: April 8, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Roger Hernández, Chair
AB 520
(Levine) - As Introduced February 23, 2015
SUBJECT: Apprenticeship
SUMMARY: Revises the annual report filed by the Division of
Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) and the California Apprenticeship
Council (CAC) to include any apprenticeship standards or
regulations that were proposed or adopted in the previous year.
EXISTING LAW requires DAS and the CAC to file an annual report
through the Director of Industrial Relations that contains
information including, but not limited to, analyses of the
following:
1)The number of individuals, including numbers of women and
minorities, registered in apprenticeship programs in this
state for the current year and in each of the previous five
years.
2)The number and percentage of apprentices, including numbers
and percentages of minorities and women, registered in each
apprenticeship program having five or more apprentices, and
the percentage of those apprentices who have completed their
programs successfully in the current year and in each of the
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previous five years.
3)Remedial actions taken by the division to assist those
apprenticeship programs having difficulty in achieving
affirmative action goals or having very low completion rates.
4)The number of disputed issues with respect to individual
apprenticeship agreements submitted to the Administrator of
Apprenticeship for determination and the number of those
issues resolved by the CAC on appeal.
5)The number of apprenticeship program applications received by
the division, the number approved, the number denied and the
reason for those denials, the number being reviewed, and
deficiencies, if any, with respect to those program
applications being reviewed.
6)The number of apprenticeship programs approved by DAS that are
disapproved by the CAC, and the reasons for those
disapprovals.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: Stateregistered apprenticeship is a unique and
important component of California's workforce development
system. The system is administered by the Division of
Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) and the California Apprenticeship
Council (CAC). California continues to lead the nation, with
55,280 apprentices registered in over 540 programs recognized by
DAS.
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The California Apprenticeship Council (CAC)
The California Apprenticeship Council (CAC) was established in
1939 by the Shelley Maloney Apprentice Labor Standards Act and
comprises 17 members, 14 of whom are appointed by the Governor
to serve fouryear terms. Of the appointed members, 6 represent
management, 6 represent labor, and 2 represent the public. The
Director of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges, or their permanent and best
qualified designees, are also members of CAC. The Chair of CAC
is elected annually by the members of the Council. The Chief of
DAS serves as secretary to CAC, and DAS provides staff services.
CAC holds open quarterly meetings to address issues affecting
apprenticeship in California and to fulfill its statutory
requirement to provide policy advice on apprenticeship matters
to the Administrator of Apprenticeship and the Director of DIR.
It also issues rules and regulations, as necessary, to carry out
the intent of the law and ensures that selection procedures are
impartially administered. The Council conducts appeal hearings
on matters of apprenticeship agreement disputes, new
apprenticeship standards approval, and apprenticeship program
administration.
The Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS)
DAS operates within DIR and administers Californias
apprenticeship law, the Shelley Maloney Apprentice Labor
Standards Act of 1939, as well as CACs regulations. As an
integral part of the California workforce development system,
the primary responsibilities of DAS are the promotion and
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development of apprenticeship training programs, the improvement
of working conditions for apprentices, and the advancement of
subsequent employment opportunities for apprentices. DAS
accomplishes these objectives by providing consultative services
to apprenticeship program sponsors, employers, employee
organizations, and education providers. Additionally, DAS has
oversight responsibilities for proper program management of
apprenticeship programs, ensuring that high training standards
are maintained for all apprentices. DAS monitors apprentice
wages, hours, working conditions, learning of skills, length of
training, and required supplemental classroom instruction
resulting in a healthy rate of program graduations for all
apprentices, including women and people of ethnic minorities.
Upon recommendation of the apprentice's program sponsor, DAS
certifies the completion of apprenticeship programs approved by
CAC. For the year 2013, DAS issued 7,122 certificates of
completion to graduating apprentices.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT:
According to the author, this bill improves apprenticeship
programs by increasing dialogue and communication between the
Legislature and DIR. This bill will require the DIR to include
in the annual report to the Legislature proposed or adopted
changes to apprenticeship standards.
Supporters state that, because of the sizeable state investment
in apprenticeship programs, it is critical for the Legislature
and stakeholders to have as much data and feedback as possible
about how the apprenticeship program is working. This will help
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ensure that we know our investment is paying off and
apprenticeship programs are helping apprentices matriculate
through the system.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
IUPAT District Council 16
IUPAT District Council 36
State Building and Construction Trades Council
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
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Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Ben Ebbink / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091