HB 23-1212

House Bill 23-1212, titled "Promotion of Apprenticeships," aims to increase awareness about apprenticeship programs among high school students in Colorado. The bill establishes a two-year pilot program with full-time navigators assigned to specific school districts to help promote these opportunities. It also requires the creation of an online job board for apprenticeships and updates career planning tools to include more information on apprenticeships. The program will cost $342,638 from the general fund and is set to end in 2027. Governor Jared Polis signed this bill into law, and it went into effect on August 7, 2023.

Official Summary

The act directs the office of future of work (office) in the department of labor and employment (department) to create a two-year apprenticeship navigator pilot program (program) with 2 full-time apprenticeship navigators, with each apprenticeship navigator assigned to a different school district selected by the office. The purpose of the program is to increase awareness of registered apprenticeship programs among graduating high school students in the selected school districts. Upon completion of the program, the act requires that the department issue a report detailing the direct and indirect costs of the operation and administration of the program to specified legislative committees of reference. The act directs the office to promote apprenticeship programs to high school students by creating and maintaining a web-based job board of apprenticeships and incorporating apprenticeships in the state's career planning tools. The department may promulgate rules for the administration of the program. The program is repealed, effective January 1, 2027. The act appropriates $342,638 from the general fund to the department for use by the department's executive director's office for the 2023-24 state fiscal year. The act also appropriates $44,000 to the department of education from the general fund for the 2023-24 state fiscal year. APPROVED by Governor May 16, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Votes