SB2024eng 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2024 Engrossed LRB101 11211 RJF 56468 b

AN ACT concerning government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Apprenticeship Study Act.

Section 5. Findings and purpose. The General Assembly finds the following:

(1) our State has the unfortunate distinction of ranking second in youth unemployment and also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country for people of color of all ages;

(2) employers from a range of sectors struggle to fill positions that require more training than a high school diploma, but less than a college degree;

(3) apprenticeship programs help address these needs by allowing employers to secure the talent they need while providing apprentices a debt-free pathway to a career and credentials, with 91% of apprentices remaining employed at a median salary of $50,000;

(4) our State has over 15,000 Registered Apprentices, but the demographics of these apprentices do not mirror the diversity of Illinoisans in that only 28% of Registered Apprentices are people of color, only 4% of Registered Apprentices are women; and the vast majority (82%) of apprenticeship programs are concentrated in the construction and trade industries;

(5) intentionally targeting industries that appeal to diverse populations could increase not only the number of apprentices in this State, but increase the diversity of those who identify as apprentices;

(6) there are significant possibilities for growing apprenticeship into an inclusive workforce strategy for Illinois, but to build a foundation for success, we need to understand what apprenticeship programs exist, how they are funded, and the barriers employers face to launching quality apprenticeship programs; and

(7) the purpose of this study is to build such a foundation for successful apprenticeship growth, and this study is needed to assess what the future may hold for expansion of apprenticeship in Illinois.

Section 10. Apprenticeship Study.

(a) There is hereby created the Apprenticeship Study.

(b) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall conduct a study on the potential expansion of apprenticeship programs in this State and produce a report on its findings. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) research on existing apprenticeship programs, using the Illinois Apprenticeship Plus Framework as a guide. This research shall seek to identify programs that fit the 4 models of apprenticeship (registered, non-registered, youth, and pre-apprenticeship);

(2) identification of work-based learning programs that may have the potential to align with the Apprenticeship Plus Framework;

(3) identification of how apprenticeship programs in this State are currently funded and what funding streams exist with potential for expanded sustainable funding of apprenticeship programs;

(4) data on the distinct demographic trends and industry composition of various regions of this State, with an assessment of the industrial needs of each region and how apprenticeship programs may be tailored to fit those needs;

(5) identification of job fields having high participation rates among diverse communities so as to support diverse and equitable apprenticeship growth in this State; and

(6) any other relevant information or recommendations concerning apprenticeship programs and how such programs may be utilized in this State to increase economic development and opportunity.

For the purposes of this subsection (b), "Illinois Apprenticeship Plus Framework" means the Apprenticeship Plus Framework established by the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board's Apprenticeship Committee in defining high-quality apprenticeships for the State.

(c) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall submit its report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before June 1, 2020.

Section 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2022.