Bill > SB845

This bill significantly expands and clarifies opportunities for students to engage in work-based learning, which refers to sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real or simulated workplace settings to gain hands-on experience aligned with their education. It broadens the entities that can offer these experiences, including county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools, in addition to school districts. The bill defines various types of work-based learning, such as internships, mentorships, and job shadowing, and allows for credit to be awarded for these activities, even for 10th graders. It also integrates these learning experiences into existing programs like career technical education, partnership academies, and community college pathways, and allows funding for these programs to support work-based learning. Furthermore, the bill modifies the approval process for preapprenticeship programs, which are designed to prepare individuals for registered apprenticeships, by allowing approval based on partnership with a local building and construction trades council and the use of a multicraft core curriculum. Finally, it clarifies that local educational agencies, such as school districts and county offices of education, can act as employers for students participating in these work-based learning activities and can provide necessary insurance.