Bill > HB2210

This bill expands youth apprenticeship programs to include individuals aged sixteen to twenty-five, with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (CareerTech) responsible for establishing and overseeing state-certified programs, guided by the State Board of Career and Technology Education. These programs will combine work-based learning with classroom instruction, serving as a bridge to post-high school training and resulting in skill mastery certification, with high school students able to participate starting in eleventh grade and receive credit equivalent to full-time postsecondary programs. CareerTech will fund apprenticeship coordinators, who will act as liaisons between schools, industry, and employers, assisting with program approval, providing technical support, and collecting data, while ensuring equitable opportunities across different areas. A "workplace mentor" is defined as an experienced employee who directly supervises and trains apprentices to achieve recognized credentials and career pathways. The Secretary of Education will provide statewide oversight of these programs and submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing enrollment, completion, return on investment, and regional capacity differences, informed by an annual external evaluation of the programs' impact and return on investment, the cost of which is capped at $12,000. The bill also appropriates $2,000,000 to CareerTech for fiscal year 2027 to support these programs, and it will become effective on July 1, 2026, with an emergency clause for immediate implementation.

Education

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb2210&Session=2600