Councilmember de la Rosa backs bill allowing apprenticeship hours to count toward high-pressure boiler license

Council Member Carmen de la Rosa introduced Intro 12-07, which would amend administrative requirements so time spent in New York State–approved apprenticeship programs counts toward the supervised practical experience required for a high-pressure boiler operating engineer license. De la Rosa said the current rule requires applicants to complete a two-year apprenticeship and then separately accrue at least three additional years of supervised practical experience, which she said delays licensure for qualified workers.

“As chair of the Civil Service and Labor Committee, we've taken our colleagues on tours of various apprenticeship programs and have seen the level of instruction and the prioritization of safety and hands on training that these workers have,” de la Rosa said. She argued that allowing supervised practical apprenticeship time under labor guidance would bring trained operating engineers into the workforce sooner, help meet climate and retrofit goals, and address attrition and vacancies across city agencies.

De la Rosa thanked Council Member Shekhar Krishnan (not present) and the union of operating engineers for participating in crafting the bill. The transcript records the introduction and the sponsor’s remarks; it does not include a roll-call vote or adoption outcome in the provided excerpt.

Ending: The bill is positioned by its sponsor as a workforce and safety measure that shortens the licensure pathway for operating engineers; the council scheduled the item for consideration but the transcript excerpt does not provide a final vote tally or next-step timeline.