AB 805: Career Apprenticeship Bridge Program.

Existing law establishes the Division of Apprenticeship Standards within the Department of Industrial Relations and requires the division, among other things, to evaluate apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs to ensure that the program evaluated is complying with its standards, as specified. Existing law requires the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards to perform various functions with respect to apprenticeship programs and the welfare of apprentices.

This bill would establish the Career Apprenticeship Bridge Program to be administered by the division for specific purposes, including, among other purposes, to coordinate and establish apprenticeships for high school students and to identify resources to support youth apprenticeships. The bill would require a program applicant for a Career Apprenticeship Bridge Program to submit documentation to the chief, as specified. The bill would require the division, among other things, to work with the State Department of Education and the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop parameters and guidelines for the program, as specified.

This bill would require the division to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2028, identifying barriers to employer participation and engagement in the program, and would require the division, on or before January 1, 2030, and annually thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature on program outcomes, as specified. chief, before approving a Career Apprenticeship Bridge Program, to present the application, as described, to the State Department of Education to review whether specified requirements are met. The bill would authorize the chief, among other things, to issue rules and regulations that govern Career Apprenticeship Bridge Programs, as specified. The bill would authorize the division to identify county and regional intermediaries, as described, to coordinate and provide support to local educational entities, employers, and youth to implement the Career Apprenticeship Bridge Program.