Long hearing on bill to apply apprenticeship goals to K-12 school construction divides supporters and smaller districts

Summary

House Bill 3881 would require certain K-12 school construction projects that use state treasury funds to meet minimum apprenticeship utilization and outreach goals. Supporters said the measure would build jobs and pipelines into construction careers; school boards and rural contractors warned it could raise costs and exclude small local firms.

House Bill 3881, which would add school districts, education service districts and public charter schools to the list of qualifying agencies subject to apprenticeship-utilization and workforce recruitment goals on public improvement projects, drew lengthy testimony March 19 before the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee.

Representative Ben Bowman, the bill sponsor, told the committee HB 3881 would align K-12 public construction projects with existing apprenticeship utilization goals that already apply to state agencies and many higher-education projects. "By passing this bill, we will create more consistency with basic workforce standards across public works projects and further align our infrastructure investments with supporting construction workforce development outcomes to help meet industry demands going forward," Bowman said, citing a projected 13% increase in construction jobs by 2033.

Union apprentices, training representatives and contractors testified in support, saying the bill would create consistent, paid on-the-job training hours for apprentices and…

Long hearing on bill to apply apprenticeship goals to K-12 school construction divides supporters and smaller districts

Summary

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