AB 1980: Labor: apprenticeship: Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeships Grant Program.

Existing law establishes in the Labor and Workforce Development Agency the Department of Industrial Relations. Existing law requires the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish a Women in Construction Priority Unit to, among other things, provide resources for employers and project owners, including public agencies, to improve construction worksite culture, address barriers to employment, and develop training and materials for workforce pipeline professionals specific to women and nonbinary individuals in construction.

This bill would establish the California Womens Preapprenticeship and Stipend Program within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency for purposes of awarding competitive grants to eligible entities, as defined, that provide preapprenticeship training programs designed to prepare women for entry into registered apprenticeship programs or other state-approved workforce pathways. would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the department to establish, through the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeships Grant Program for the purpose of increasing equitable access to building and construction career pathways for women, nonbinary individuals, and underrepresented populations in California. The bill would require the department to issue a competitive request for applications for qualified organizations, as defined. The bill would require the grants to be used for specified purposes, including to provide direct participant stipends to offset lost wages and enable full participation in preapprenticeship training programs. The and apprenticeship programs that are registered with the division.

This bill would require the agency to prioritize applications from eligible entities qualified organizations that have programs serving women women, nonbinary individuals, and underrepresented populations who meet specified criteria. The bill would impose reporting requirements on grantees and would require the agency department to provide a summary report of the data received to the Legislature. The bill would authorize the agency department to issue rules, regulations, guidelines, policies, or procedures necessary to implement the bills provisions described above, including application criteria, grant requirements, and performance measures.