SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 525

 

with committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: MARCH 7, 2022

 

      The Senate Labor Committee reports favorably, with committee amendments, Senate Bill, No. 525, with committee amendments,.

      This bill enhances and expands the State’s current initiatives under the “Youth Transitions to Work Partnership Act,” P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.), to establish pre-apprenticeship programs to assist young people to enter into apprenticeship programs with links to post-secondary education and credentials.

      The bill increases funding for the Youth Transitions to Work (YTTW) Partnership and requires that consortia which receive YTTW grants use at least 25 percent of the grants for pre-apprenticeship, or school-to-apprenticeship, programs.  The bill enhances the services provided to program participants by adding training in life skills, including communication, working in teams, and meeting employer expectations, training, including one-to-one tutoring in needed basic math and literacy skills, and supportive services in addition to those provided in current law.  The bill requires the consortia to maximize participation not only by women and minority group members, but by individuals with disabilities as well.

      Finally, the bill requires employers and other participants in the consortia, when selecting applicants to participate in their apprenticeship programs, to give first priority to applicants who have successfully completed the pre-apprenticeship programs and have met all other requirements for entering the apprenticeship programs.

      The bill increases funding for the YTTW program by increasing its share of Workforce Development Partnership (WDP) Fund moneys from 5% to 7% of WDP revenues, and providing an additional $1,000,000 in WDP funds from the amount otherwise appropriated from the WDP fund for the NJ Apprenticeship Network and other job training initiatives.

      The amendments made by the committee update the appropriations language in the bill.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2022-2023 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.