ASSEMBLY LABOR COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 459

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: NOVEMBER 7, 1996

      The Assembly Labor Committee reports favorably the Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 459.

      This committee substitute is designed to increase educational opportunities and stimulate increased utilization of Youth Transitions to Work Partnership program grants to local consortia by: requiring that the grants be awarded on a multi-year basis to ensure high-quality, post-secondary educational opportunities for participating students; permitting any of the prospective business, education or labor partners of a consortium to take the lead in creating and managing the consortium; and awarding the grants on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified applicants. The last two provisions of the substitute will modify the administration of the program to make it more like the highly successful customized training program of the Workforce Development Partnership Program.

      In addition, the committee substitute prohibits the awarding of grants to an applicant in the State under any federal school-to-work program, unless, upon review of the application, the Apprenticeship Policy Committee determines that funds awarded will not be used to replace, supplant, compete with or duplicate existing apprenticeship programs, or in a manner which is inconsistent with federal requirements regarding the rights of students, trainees and workers. This provision of the substitute codifies into statute a resolution of the State Apprenticeship Policy Committee.