House panel hears bill to create statewide apprenticeship grant program

Senate Bill 2,239, introduced by Sen. Josh Baucher, would create a state grant program to help North Dakotans pay startup costs for registered apprenticeships.

Senator Josh Baucher, sponsor of the bill, told the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee the program is intended to complement a recent expansion of the North Dakota scholarship by helping people who do not qualify for that scholarship access apprenticeships. “As the newly enacted statute was implemented, it was realized that many of the students who wished to access the North Dakota scholarship for their registered apprenticeship did not qualify for the scholarship,” Baucher said. He cited the 3.0 GPA requirement as a barrier for some students and described the proposed grant as a separate tool to grow apprenticeship opportunities statewide.

The bill would appropriate $1.1 million from the general fund for the program and set a $3,000 maximum award per recipient within a three‑year period. Baucher said the $1.1…