STATEWIDE – The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) released, July 15, Advancing Apprenticeship in California: A Five-Point Action Plan to expand the state’s number of apprentices to a half-million by 2029. With the new budget – over $231 million this year, “the State is creating equitable onramps to careers and opportunities for upward mobility for Californians.”
According to the statement the Five-Point Action Plan addresses gender imbalance in the building trades, and creates more opportunities for youth through apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
Apprenticeship is an industry-driven career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally-recognized credential.
“We developed this plan through collaborative discussions and engagement with employers, educators, labor and community groups,” said DIR Director Katie S. Hagen. “This funding will help lay the groundwork for a major expansion of the apprenticeship model, which allows workers to earn as they learn on the job.”
The plan’s five points include:
- Supporting regional and sectoral apprenticeship intermediaries
- Creating new apprenticeships outside of the traditional trades
- Improving gender representation in the trades
- Supporting youth apprenticeship for in-school and out-of-school youth
- Building pathways into the public sector
The 2022-2023 budget invests over $231 million in apprenticeship-related spending this year and more than $480 million over the next three years.
New funding includes $175 million to create apprenticeship innovation funding for non-traditional programs, $65 million to create a youth apprenticeship grant program, $15 million to fund a unit that works to advance women in construction, and an increase of over 30% to the reimbursement rate for training in building and construction apprenticeships.
For more information on the apprentice programs visit https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/
