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Public Act 101-0364
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| SB2024 Enrolled | LRB101 11211 RJF 56468 b |
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AN ACT concerning government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the |
Apprenticeship Study Act.
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Section 5. Findings and purpose. The General Assembly finds |
the following:
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(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;
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(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;
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(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;
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(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 |
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Apprentices are women; and the vast majority (82%) of |
apprenticeship programs are concentrated in the |
construction and trade industries;
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(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;
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(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
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(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.
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Section 10. Apprenticeship Study.
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(a) There is hereby created the Apprenticeship Study.
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(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:
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(1) research on existing apprenticeship programs, |
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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);
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(2) identification of work-based learning programs |
that may have the potential to align with the |
Apprenticeship Plus Framework;
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(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;
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(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;
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(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
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(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.
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For the purposes of this subsection (b), "Illinois |
Apprenticeship Plus Framework" means the
Apprenticeship Plus |