BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 725
AUTHOR: Hancock
INTRODUCED: February 27, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 1, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
NOTE: This bill has been referred to the Committees on
Education and Business, Professions and Economic Development.
A "do pass' motion should include referral to the Committee
on Business, Professions and Economic Development.
SUBJECT : Regional Occupational Centers and Programs:
California Apprenticeship Preparation
Program (CAPP)
SUMMARY:
This bill authorizes regional occupational centers or
programs, upon approval and certification by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, to offer a California
Apprenticeship Preparation Program and establishes criteria
for the establishment of those programs.
BACKGROUND
Existing law establishes various career technical education
programs for public schools including but not limited to
regional occupational centers and programs (ROC/P),
partnership academies, adult education programs, and career
technical education programs in secondary and postsecondary
institutions.
The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted model curriculum
standards for Career Technical Education (CTE) in May 2005
and adopted the curriculum frameworks for those standards in
January 2007. The standards are organized in 15 industry
sectors of interrelated occupations and broad industries.
The standards also identify 58 career pathways and the
academic and technical courses required for each pathway.
Existing law, the Shelley-Maloney Apprentice Labor Standards
Act of 1939 established the California Apprenticeship Council
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(CAC) and governs apprenticeship programs in California.
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Establishes the California Apprenticeship Preparation
Program Act of 2009.
2) Authorizes ROC/Ps, upon approval by the Superintendent
of Public Instruction (SPI), to offer California
Apprenticeship Preparation Programs (CAPP).
3) Requires the SPI to approve and certify an ROC/P as a
CAPP if the ROC/P:
a) Offers the state-approved sequence of courses.
b) Ensures that instructors have the appropriate
career technical education designated subjects
credential issued by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC).
c) Enters into at least one memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with a local building trades
and construction apprenticeship program that has
graduated at least one apprentice in the past five
years and has been certified by the Division of
Apprenticeship Standards (DAS), and requires the
MOU to:
i) Outline the roles and responsibilities
of the apprenticeship program to provide
occupational and academic support.
ii) Ensure that pupils who complete the
sequence of CAPP courses will be given credit
or preferential consideration toward admission
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to an apprenticeship program.
iii) Specify the criteria for granting
preferential consideration towards admission
to a program approved by the DAS.
iv) Outline the criteria by which pupils
who complete a CAPP may be awarded a skills
certificate, as specified.
4) Specifies that it is not a violation of the Labor Code
or California Apprenticeship Council regulations for an
apprenticeship program to provide preferential
consideration pursuant to the MOU.
5) Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to
collaborate with representatives from building trades
and construction apprenticeship training organizations
and ROC/P faculty and curriculum coordinators to develop
curriculum covering all aspects of the building trades
and construction industry and requires the curriculum
to:
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a) Align to the CTE standards adopted by the SBE
and building trades industry standards as
specified, including standards adopted by the CAC.
b) Begin with an overview of all aspects of the
building and construction trades and include an
overview of employee rights and responsibilities.
c) Provide pupils with instruction as specified.
6) Requires California Apprenticeship Preparation Program
(CAPP) outreach efforts to include a targeted effort to
include female students.
7) Authorizes a ROC/P offering a CAPP to exceed its
enrollment limit if the local building trades and
construction apprenticeship program funds the
instructional costs of pupils enrolled above the
enrollment limit.
8) Authorizes both labor-management and unilateral nonunion
apprenticeship programs approved by the State of
California to enter into an MOU with an ROC/P and
requires such MOUs to include specified signatures.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Regional Occupational Centers and Programs . ROC/Ps
provide students opportunities to attend career
technical education programs. ROC/P are designed to
provide a focused occupational training and typically
include more advanced capstone courses that students
take during grades 11 and 12 to prepare them for entry
level jobs or transition to postsecondary education,
technical training, or apprenticeships. This bill seeks
to create specialized ROC/P programs that will prepare
pupils to enter postsecondary apprenticeship programs
and to provide guidance to schools seeking to develop
apprenticeship preparation programs.
2) 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,
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depending upon the trade. (Most programs are about four
years long.) 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. Apprenticeship programs may
be sponsored by 1) joint labor and management
apprenticeship committees, 2) unilateral union or
management
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committees, 3) or individual employers. This bill does
not appear to authorize private entities to engage in
MOUs with ROC/Ps to provide apprenticeship preparation
training.
3) Prior legislation . This bill is substantially similar
to AB 2515 (Hancock, 2008), which was held in Assembly
Appropriations.
4) Technical amendments . Staff recommends two technical
amendments to 1) correct the reference in Section 52332
(c) (1) to "Offers the state-approved sequence of
courses pursuant to subdivision (d)"; and 2) to correct
the credential reference in subparagraph (2) of that
same section to "designated subjects career technical
education credential."
5) Categorical flexibility . ROC/P funding is included in
the Tier III categorical flexibility provided by the
2009-10 Budget Act (subject to cuts and flexibility).
It is unclear how this bill will be affected by that
flexibility.
6) Fiscal impact . The CDE estimates annual costs of
$200,000 to $300,000 for activities associated with
developing curriculum, reviewing MOUs and conducting
periodic program reviews.
SUPPORT
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,
AFL-CIO
California Teachers Association
State Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO
OPPOSITION
None received.