101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2024

 

Introduced 2/15/2019, by Sen. Ann Gillespie

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Apprenticeship Study Act. Creates the Apprenticeship Study. Requires the Department of Labor to conduct a study on the potential expansion of apprenticeship programs in this State and produce a report on its findings. Provides for the contents of the report. Requires the Department of Labor to submit its report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before June 1, 2020. Defines "Illinois Apprenticeship Plus Framework". Provides findings and purpose provisions. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2022.


LRB101 11211 RJF 56468 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2024LRB101 11211 RJF 56468 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Apprenticeship Study Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings and purpose. The General Assembly finds
7the following:
8        (1) our State has the unfortunate distinction of
9    ranking second in youth unemployment and also has one of
10    the highest unemployment rates in the country for people of
11    color of all ages;
12        (2) employers from a range of sectors struggle to fill
13    positions that require more training than a high school
14    diploma, but less than a college degree;
15        (3) apprenticeship programs help address these needs
16    by allowing employers to secure the talent they need while
17    providing apprentices a debt-free pathway to a career and
18    credentials, with 91% of apprentices remaining employed at
19    a median salary of $50,000;
20        (4) our State has over 15,000 Registered Apprentices,
21    but the demographics of these apprentices do not mirror the
22    diversity of Illinoisans in that only 28% of Registered
23    Apprentices are people of color, only 4% of Registered

 

 

SB2024- 2 -LRB101 11211 RJF 56468 b

1    Apprentices are women; and the vast majority (82%) of
2    apprenticeship programs are concentrated in the
3    construction and trade industries;
4        (5) intentionally targeting industries that appeal to
5    diverse populations could increase not only the number of
6    apprentices in this State, but increase the diversity of
7    those who identify as apprentices;
8        (6) there are significant possibilities for growing
9    apprenticeship into an inclusive workforce strategy for
10    Illinois, but to build a foundation for success, we need to
11    understand what apprenticeship programs exist, how they
12    are funded, and the barriers employers face to launching
13    quality apprenticeship programs; and
14        (7) the purpose of this study is build such a
15    foundation for successful apprenticeship growth, and this
16    study is needed to assess what the future may hold for
17    expansion of apprenticeship in Illinois.
 
18    Section 10. Apprenticeship Study.
19    (a) There is hereby created the Apprenticeship Study.
20    (b) The Department of Labor shall conduct a study on the
21potential expansion of apprenticeship programs in this State
22and produce a report on its findings. The report shall include,
23but not be limited to, the following:
24        (1) research on existing apprenticeship programs,
25    using the Illinois Apprenticeship Plus Framework as a

 

 

SB2024- 3 -LRB101 11211 RJF 56468 b

1    guide. This research shall seek to identify programs that
2    fit the 4 models of apprenticeship (registered,
3    non-registered, youth, and pre-apprenticeship);
4        (2) identification of work-based learning programs
5    that may have the potential to align with the
6    Apprenticeship Plus Framework;
7        (3) identification of how apprenticeship programs in
8    this State are currently funded and what funding streams
9    exist with potential for expanded sustainable funding of
10    apprenticeship programs;
11        (4) data on the distinct demographic trends and
12    industry composition of various regions of this State, with
13    an assessment of the industrial needs of each region and
14    how apprenticeship programs may be tailored to fit those
15    needs;
16        (5) identification of job fields having high
17    participation rates among diverse communities so as to
18    support diverse and equitable apprenticeship growth in
19    this State; and
20        (6) any other relevant information or recommendations
21    concerning apprenticeship programs and how such programs
22    may be utilized in this State to increase economic
23    development and opportunity.
24    For the purposes of this subsection (b), "Illinois
25Apprenticeship Plus Framework" means the Apprenticeship Plus
26Framework established by the Illinois Workforce Innovation

 

 

SB2024- 4 -LRB101 11211 RJF 56468 b

1Board's Apprenticeship Committee in defining high-quality
2apprenticeships for the State.
3    (c) The Department of Labor shall submit its report with
4findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General
5Assembly on or before June 1, 2020.
 
6    Section 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1,
72022.