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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 2-3.173 and by changing Section 27-22.05 as follows: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.173 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 2-3.173. Registered apprenticeship program. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) In this Section, "registered apprenticeship program" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | means an industry-based occupational training program of study | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | with standards reviewed and approved by the United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Department of Labor that meets each of the following | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | characteristics: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | (1) Apprentices in the program are at all times | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | employed by a company participating in the program. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | (2) The program features a structured combination of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | on-the-job learning supported by related technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | classroom instruction, met either by a high school or a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | public community college. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | (3) Apprentices in the program are paid a training wage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | of not less than the State minimum wage, which escalates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | throughout the life of the apprenticeship, and employment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | is continued with the company following conclusion of the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | apprenticeship for a period of not less than 2 years. |
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1 | (4) Apprentices in the program earn an | ||||||
2 | industry-related occupational skills certificate and a | ||||||
3 | high school diploma or associate degree. | ||||||
4 | (b) No later than 6 months after the effective date of this | ||||||
5 | amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, the State Board | ||||||
6 | of Education shall adopt rules as may be necessary to allow | ||||||
7 | students of any high school in this State who are 16 years of | ||||||
8 | age or older to participate in registered apprenticeship | ||||||
9 | programs. The rules shall include the waiver of all | ||||||
10 | non-academic requirements mandated for graduation from a high | ||||||
11 | school under this Code that would otherwise prohibit or prevent | ||||||
12 | a student from participating in a registered apprenticeship | ||||||
13 | program.
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14 | (105 ILCS 5/27-22.05)
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15 | Sec. 27-22.05. Required course substitute. Notwithstanding | ||||||
16 | any other
provision of this Article or this Code, a school | ||||||
17 | board that maintains any of
grades 9 through 12 is authorized | ||||||
18 | to adopt a policy under which
a student who is enrolled in any | ||||||
19 | of those grades
may satisfy one or more high school course or | ||||||
20 | graduation requirements,
including , but not limited to , any | ||||||
21 | requirements under Sections 27-6 and 27-22, by successfully | ||||||
22 | completing a registered apprenticeship program under rules | ||||||
23 | adopted by the State Board of Education under Section 2-3.173 | ||||||
24 | of this Code, or by
substituting for and successfully | ||||||
25 | completing in place of the high school course
or graduation |
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1 | requirement a related vocational or technical education | ||||||
2 | course.
A vocational or technical education course shall not | ||||||
3 | qualify as a related
vocational or technical education course | ||||||
4 | within the meaning of this Section
unless it contains at least | ||||||
5 | 50% of the content of the required course or
graduation | ||||||
6 | requirement for which it is substituted, as determined by the | ||||||
7 | State
Board of Education in accordance with standards that it | ||||||
8 | shall adopt and
uniformly apply for purposes of this Section. | ||||||
9 | No vocational or technical
education course may be substituted | ||||||
10 | for a required course or graduation
requirement under any | ||||||
11 | policy adopted by a school board as authorized in this
Section | ||||||
12 | unless the pupil's parent or guardian first
requests the | ||||||
13 | substitution and approves it in writing on forms that the | ||||||
14 | school
district makes available for purposes of this Section.
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15 | (Source: P.A. 88-269.)
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16 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
17 | becoming law.
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