Corrado Bill Establishing ‘Registered Apprenticeship Program’ Clears Committee

Legislation sponsored by Senator Kristin Corrado that would establish the Registered Apprenticeship Program for State Agencies in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development was advanced by the Senate Labor Committee.

“Professional apprenticeships open new doorways for individuals who choose a skills-based career path, including on-the-job training, mentors, and nationally-recognized industry credentials,” said Corrado (R-40). “And just like private employers, State agencies can, and should, take advantage of the benefits of registered apprentices to better recruit and retain State workers. My legislation will help facilitate this by establishing a Registered Apprenticeship Program specifically for State Agencies.”

Under the bill, S-3562, the Registered Apprenticeship Program is required to: Produce an application for State agencies to register an apprenticeship program; Allocate funds to support apprenticeship-related instruction; Consult interested State agencies to identify occupations for an apprenticeship program; and plan and prepare an information strategy to guide State agencies in selecting apprenticeship-related instruction.

“Registered Apprenticeship is a nationally recognized, proven strategy to prepare a skilled workforce for technical and trade level jobs,” added Corrado. “This legislation will finally give apprentices in New Jersey an equal opportunity to succeed in a highly competitive job market.”