S689

An Act concerning the NJ PLACE program, and amending P.L.2009, c.200, P.L.1993, c.268, and P.L.2007, c.175.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 1 of P.L.2009, c.200 (C.34:15D-24) is amended to read as follows:

1. a. There is established, in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development [and under the direction of] in consultation with the State Employment and Training Commission [as part of the commission's responsibilities pursuant to subsection d. of section 9 of P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-6)] , the New Jersey Pathways Leading Apprentices to a College Education, or "NJ PLACE", program. The purpose of the program is to facilitate cooperation between appropriate State agencies, employer organizations, labor organizations, schools, and two-year and four-year institutions of higher education to enter into agreements to provide college credit in connection with apprenticeship programs and permit the work of apprentices in those programs to be credited towards two-year and four-year college degrees, including under either: (1) the credit-for-prior-learning model whereby college credit is awarded to a student at the time of enrollment in a degree program and following the successful completion of an approved apprenticeship program; or (2) the co-enrollment model whereby college credit is awarded to a student-apprentice while the student-apprentice is enrolled in and actively engaged in a apprenticeship degree program. To implement its purpose, the program shall [continue the current process of] resume the negotiations between county colleges and other institutions of higher education, employer organizations, labor organizations and State agencies which [has] resulted in the establishment of an associate in applied science in technical studies degree program into which credits are transferred for the time spent by apprentices in classroom and non-classroom apprenticeship training and education. While most of these [existing] previous articulation agreements establishing transfer credits [are] were between county colleges and construction trade apprenticeships, the NJ PLACE program shall work to facilitate agreements involving additional apprenticeship programs outside, as well as inside, of the construction industry and involving other institutions of higher education, and four-year, as well as two-year, college degrees.

b. The NJ PLACE program shall coordinate its efforts to promote apprenticeship programs and related higher education with the efforts of the "Youth Transitions to Work Partnership Act," created pursuant to P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et al.) and consortia of businesses, business organizations, labor organizations and educational institutions funded by that partnership to link newly established and existing apprenticeship programs with secondary schools and institutions of higher education to provide effective transitions for high school graduates into those programs.

c. The State Employment and Training Commission is authorized to obtain, accept and utilize resources for the NJ PLACE program as may be, or may become, available from appropriate State, federal and non-governmental sources of funding for employment, training and educational purposes, including the Workforce Development Partnership Fund created pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-9), the "Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skills" established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2001, c.152 (C.34:15D-21), or funds available pursuant to the [Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Pub.L.105-220 (29 U.S.C. s.2801 et seq.)] Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. s.3101 et seq.). Upon the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), $300,000 shall be allocated to the NJ PLACE program from the $34,500,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act for State fiscal year 2019 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding additional workforce initiatives at the discretion of the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

d. For the purposes of this section, "apprenticeship program" means a registered apprenticeship program providing to each trainee combined classroom and on-the-job training under the direct and close supervision of a highly skilled worker in an occupation recognized as an apprenticeable trade, registered by the Office of Apprenticeship of the U.S. Department of Labor, and meeting the standards established by the office.

e. For the purposes of this section:

“Apprenticeship degree program” means a program whereby, through cooperation between the administrator of an apprenticeship program, whether an employer, employer organization, or labor organization, and a two-year or four-year institution of higher education, students are permitted to be engaged in and working toward completion of an apprenticeship program while simultaneously enrolled at an institution of higher education in a bachelor’s degree program or an associate degree program, and are awarded credits by the institution of higher education toward a bachelor’s degree or associate degree based on hours completed in the apprenticeship program.

“Student” means an individual enrolled at an institution of higher education in a bachelor’s degree program or an associate degree program.

“Student-apprentice” means a student who is participating in a apprenticeship degree program.

(cf: P.L.2009, c.200, s.1)

2. Section 7 of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-7) is amended to read as follows:

7. Each consortium which is awarded a grant from the partnership shall, in collaboration with the NJ PLACE program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2009, c.200 (C.34:15D-24), establish a program which provides the option of linkages from apprenticeship to subsequent post-secondary education. Grants may also be provided to consortiums pursuant to this section to create new linkage programs for existing apprenticeship programs. Each participating educational institution in a consortium which is awarded a grant shall develop or modify the classroom curriculum for apprentices to make the classroom training applicable toward associate and baccalaureate degrees. In addition, participating educational institutions shall develop, to the extent feasible, articulation in post-secondary programs which provides participating apprentices with options to progress from apprenticeable trades to professional occupations. The purpose of the program is to [enhance the prestige of education for skilled technical work by providing front-line workers with opportunities for lifelong vocationally-relevant learning and advancement] create greater career flexibility and mobility for people participating in apprenticeship programs, by allowing them to simultaneously earn college credit towards a degree while learning through their apprenticeship program.

Each grant awarded to a consortium shall provide that not less than 15% of the grant funds be used for a linkage program established pursuant to this section.

(cf: P.L.1993, c.268, s.7)

3. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.175 (C.18A:62-46) is amended to read as follows:

1. Each public institution of higher education, in consultation with the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and the New Jersey Presidents' Council, shall establish and enter into a collective Statewide transfer agreement that provides for the seamless transfer of academic credits to a baccalaureate degree program from a completed associate of arts degree program, a completed associate of science degree program, or a completed associate in applied science in technical studies degree program in any case in which the program has credits transferred by the NJ PLACE program from apprenticeship programs. The transfer agreement shall include:

a. a listing of the general education core courses as stipulated by the Presidents' Council;

b. policies and procedures for the seamless transfer and application of academic credits to a baccalaureate degree program from a completed associate degree program, including a guarantee that an associate of arts degree, associate of science degree, or associate in applied science in technical studies degree in any case in which the program has credits transferred by the NJ PLACE program from apprenticeship programs, awarded by a county college established pursuant to chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes shall be fully transferable and credited as the first two years of a baccalaureate degree program at the four-year public institution of higher education in the State to which a student is admitted;

c. policies and procedures for the implementation of an appeals process for students and institutions to resolve disputes regarding the transfer of academic credits;

d. policies and procedures for the annual review and update of the agreement; and

e. policies and procedures for the collection of data by the commission to ensure that all participating institutions of higher education are in compliance with the provisions of this act and to ensure that the agreement is fostering both a seamless transfer process and the academic success of transfer students at the senior institutions. The commission shall annually determine the data to be collected and shall notify each participating institution in a timely manner.

The policies and procedures set forth in the transfer agreement shall be fully operational by September 1, 2008, except that, with respect to associate in applied science in technical studies degree programs which have credits transferred by the NJ PLACE program from apprenticeship programs, the transfer agreement shall be fully operational by September 1, [2011] 2021.

(cf: P.L.2009, c.200, s.2)

4. Section 2 of P.L.2007, c.175 (C.18A:62-47) is amended to read as follows:

2. On or before January 1, 2008, each public institution of higher education shall, in consultation with the Commission on Higher Education and the Presidents' Council, develop and adopt as part of the collective Statewide transfer agreement established pursuant to section 1 of this act policies and procedures for the transfer of credits earned by a student who has not completed his associate degree program prior to transferring into a baccalaureate degree program, except that, with respect to associate in applied science in technical studies degree programs which have credits transferred by the NJ PLACE program from apprenticeship programs, those policies and procedures shall be developed and

adopted on or before January 1, [2011] 2021.

(cf: P.L.2009, c.200, s.3)

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill provides funding for the NJ PLACE program to establish college credit towards degrees in connection with new and existing apprenticeship programs, and directs consortia that receive grants from the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership to use not less than 15 percent of the grants to establish, in collaboration with NJ PLACE, programs to provide linkages from apprenticeship to post-secondary education.

The bill provides that any associate degree program in applied science in technical studies which has credits transferred from apprenticeship programs by the NJ PLACE program shall have transfer agreements for credit towards baccalaureate degrees fully operational by September 2, 2021.