Committee advances bill to create state apprenticeship office, exempts existing trade boards

The Industry, Business and Labor Committee on Wednesday voted to send House Bill 1036 forward, as amended, to appropriations after adding language to preserve existing apprenticeship programs overseen by independent boards.

The bill would establish a state office to support and expand apprenticeship programs; Representative Jordan Koppelman, who worked on components of the measure, told the committee he sought a narrow amendment so the proposal would not “supersede the existing boards” that already manage trade apprenticeship programs such as the State Electrical Board’s program.

Committee discussion centered on two issues: whether the U.S. Department of Labor should retain final approval authority for registered apprenticeships, and which state agency should “house” the proposed office. James Schmidt, executive director of the…