SB2122eng 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2122 Engrossed LRB101 07650 AXK 52698 b

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by adding Section 2-26 as follows:

(110 ILCS 805/2-26 new)

Sec. 2-26. Community college apprenticeship grant program.

(a) The General Assembly finds all of the following:

(1) It is vital that our State take steps to enhance education and workforce training to build capacity and develop talent and skills that meet current and future workforce needs.

(2) Apprenticeship is a proven model of job preparation that combines paid on-the-job training with related instruction to progressively increase workers' skill levels and wages.

(3) As an earn-and-learn strategy, apprenticeships offer job seekers immediate employment opportunities that pay sustainable wages and offer advancement along a career pathway.

(4) As using apprenticeships as a workforce development tool continues to flourish across the country, the role for community colleges is also growing.

(5) Community college apprenticeship programs in this State bring the classroom and careers together, as they develop curriculum and provide the classroom instruction portion of an apprenticeship.

(6) Community college apprenticeship programs may provide college credits leading toward, or even completion of, an associate degree.

(7) Community colleges often screen apprenticeship applicants, work with economic and workforce development groups, or even act as the apprenticeship program sponsor, handling the administration of the apprenticeship program.

(8) Lack of funding and resources is the most widely mentioned challenge to increasing apprenticeship programs at community colleges in this State.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall establish a community college apprenticeship grant program to expand opportunities for credit and non-credit education and training leading to high-demand jobs through apprenticeship programs offered in partnership with a community college and a local business or industry. Grants provided under this Section must be prioritized to expand apprenticeship programs to new populations, develop apprenticeships in new, non-traditional sectors, and identify ways to promote greater inclusion and diversity in apprenticeships.

(c) The State Board must adopt rules necessary to implement this Section.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.