PRINTER'S NO. 113
No. 120 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MOWERY, SALVATORE, THOMPSON, LEMMOND, COSTA AND TOMLINSON, JANUARY 12, 1999
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 12, 1999
AN ACT 1 Providing for the establishment and operation of the Youth 2 Apprenticeship Program. 3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 4 hereby enacts as follows: 5 Section 1. Short title. 6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Youth 7 Apprenticeship Program Act. 8 Section 2. Definitions. 9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 11 context clearly indicates otherwise: 12 "Department." The Department of Education of the 13 Commonwealth. 14 "Participating firm." A business that provides training for 15 a student. 16 "Program." The Youth Apprenticeship Program. 17 "Student." A person attending a public secondary school.
1 Section 3. Youth Apprenticeship Program. 2 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the Youth 3 Apprenticeship Program to encourage the development of a 4 partnership between industry and school and a deep understanding 5 of the relationship of school to work by providing young people 6 with the skills required for high-wage employment and by helping 7 them get started with postsecondary education. This program 8 shall be administered by the department. 9 (b) Registration.--A student shall be registered in the 10 program by written agreement between the student, the student's 11 parent, the participating firm and the secondary school. 12 (c) Option.--When the student reaches 18 years of age, the 13 student has the option to become an adult apprentice. 14 (d) Compensation.--Students shall be paid training wages by 15 their participating firms. 16 (e) Posttraining employment.--There shall be no guarantee of 17 posttraining employment from the participating firm and no 18 guaranteed commitment to posttraining employment by the student. 19 (f) Learning experiences.--There shall be classroom and 20 workplace learning experiences. The workplace learning should 21 become more central over the course of the student's progress. 22 (g) Credit assessment.--The apprenticeship program shall be 23 competency-based, and credit shall be awarded in each area based 24 on the assessment of the appropriate teaching staff member of 25 the relevant materials in a student portfolio, including 26 objective tests, subjective examinations and practical 27 demonstrations of acquired skills. Student portfolios may 28 include examples of the student's work, whether academic or work 29 assignments. 30 (h) Program goals.--At the end of the second year of the 19990S0120B0113 - 2 -
1 program, the student shall earn: 2 (1) A high school diploma. 3 (2) An opportunity to enter, with advanced standing, 4 into a formal adult apprenticeship agreement with an 5 employer. 6 (3) An opportunity to continue in an associate degree 7 program at a community college with an advanced standing and 8 credits transferable to a four-year college. 9 Section 4. Effective date. 10 This act shall take effect in 60 days. L11L24DMS/19990S0120B0113 - 3 -