Section 210.600  General Provisions

a)         No employer subject to the provisions of the Act shall employ a learner at less than the minimum wage pursuant to Section 4 of the Act without first obtaining a license from the Director.  An employer may at no time pay a learner less than the minimum rate provided by Section 6 of the Act.

b)         No person shall be deemed a learner at an establishment in an occupation for which he has completed the required training.  A learner, having completed his/her required training, must thereupon be paid at wages not less than the minimum wage required by Section 4 of the Act.

c)         The period of learning may not exceed six months, except where the Director determines, following investigation, that the occupation for which the learner is to be trained requires in excess of six months of such training to attain a level of minimum proficiency.  A special request must be made by any employer seeking to extend the training period, upon forms provided by the Department.

d)         The employer has the burden of establishing that, for the occupation for which the learner is to be trained, there is a bona fide training program for the occupation, and the length of the training period is reasonable in light of the skills required to attain a level of minimum proficiency.