Apprenticeship programs: approval.

Existing law provides for the establishment of apprenticeship programs in various trades, to be approved by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards within the Department of Industrial Relations in any trade in the state or in a city or trade area whenever the apprentice training needs justify the establishment. Under existing law, the apprentice training needs in the building and construction trades are required to be deemed to justify a new apprentice program only if one or more specified conditions are met. Existing law also authorizes the California Apprenticeship Council to approve a new apprenticeship program if special circumstances, as established by regulation, justify the establishment of the program. The California Apprenticeship Council has not established any regulations to approve a new apprenticeship program justified by special circumstances. This bill would revise conditions for when the apprentice training needs in the building and construction trades justify a new apprentice program. This bill would also remove the authority of the California Apprenticeship Council to approve a new apprenticeship program justified by special circumstances by regulation.