Bill > S1670

This bill aims to strengthen apprenticeship programs in Florida by creating the Florida Apprenticeship Grant Program (FLAG) within the Department of Education to provide grants to Florida College System institutions for developing new or expanding existing apprenticeship programs, with a focus on information technology, health, and machining and manufacturing, and also establishes a Rapid Response Grant Program to support high-demand postsecondary programs at these institutions. The bill also updates definitions related to apprenticeships, including defining "journeyworker" as a skilled worker with sufficient experience or completed apprenticeship, and allows for online and remote learning components in apprenticeship programs, as well as credit for prior learning assessments. Furthermore, it enables students participating in registered apprenticeships to earn high school credits and receive college credit for apprenticeship courses taken at Florida College System institutions through articulation agreements, and exempts apprentices from tuition and fees for these college courses.