AB 299

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The board of governors appoints the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to serve as the chief executive officer of the segment. This bill would establish the California Apprenticeship Grant Program, commencing with the 2022–23 academic year, under the administration of the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide grants to encourage high school pupils, community college students, and employed and unemployed workers seeking to go into career technical education and vocational professions through participation in qualifying, state-approved apprenticeship programs. Under the bill, the chancellor's office would provide supplemental grants to apprentices who participate in qualified, state-approved apprenticeship and vocational programs through high schools, campuses of the California Community Colleges, and industry-driven and -funded state-approved apprenticeship and vocational programs. The bill would prohibit these grants from replacing any existing financial aid or compensation that an apprentice may receive during apprenticeship training. The bill would require that specified eligibility criteria to be met by students and apprenticeship employers and programs to participate in the program to be determined by the chancellor's office in accordance with regulations adopted by the chancellor's office. The bill would authorize the chancellor's office to adopt emergency regulations, as specified, to carry out the purposes of the bill. The bill would make the operation of the program in any fiscal year contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation, in the Budget Act or another statute, of an amount deemed sufficient by the chancellor's office to implement the program for that fiscal year.