(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction and educational service districts shall establish the regional apprenticeship preparation pilot program.

(2) The purpose of the pilot program is to identify common best practices and processes for establishing regional apprenticeship preparation programs that support postsecondary success for students and strengthen community engagement in schools and school districts.

(3) The pilot program must consist of five sites: Three located west of the crest of the Cascade mountains; and two located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains. The office of the superintendent of public instruction and educational service districts must ensure that the sites are geographically dispersed, with one western Washington site located in a school district with a collaboratively developed regional apprenticeship pathways program, and a second western Washington site located in a school district with a preapprenticeship program recognized by the Washington state apprenticeship and training council after July 1, 2021, but before September 1, 2021. The eastern Washington sites must also be geographically dispersed and at least one eastern Washington site must be located in an educational service district with rural communities that lack convenient access to skill centers or other workforce development facilities or programs.

(4) In implementing the pilot program, the educational service districts must:

(a) Ensure that the pilot program is:

(i) An education-based apprenticeship preparation program recognized by the Washington state apprenticeship and training council; and

(ii) Developed as a collaborative partnership involving local school districts, charter schools, state-tribal compact schools, community or technical colleges, local labor unions, local Washington state apprenticeship and training council registered apprenticeship programs, and local industry groups;

(b) Provide students with dual credit opportunities to meet high school graduation requirements and earn credit toward a postsecondary degree or industry recognized credential;

(c) Provide students with preferred or direct entry into an aligned state registered apprenticeship program; and

(d) Provide data requested by the office of the superintendent of public instruction to support the evaluation required by RCW 28A.630.155.

(5) For the purposes of this section, “apprenticeship preparation program,” also referred to as a preapprenticeship program, means an apprenticeship preparation program that is recognized by the Washington state apprenticeship and training council.

(6) This section expires June 30, 2027.

Finding—Intent—2023 c 128: “The legislature finds that state recognized apprenticeship preparation programs, programs that are also referred to as preapprenticeship programs, provide important graduation pathways and future career opportunities to students. These programs also benefit employers, providing them with an opportunity to train students for jobs in industries that are important to local communities.

Regional apprenticeship preparation programs are one approach to help coordinate the state’s educational offerings with local resources, work-integrated learning opportunities, and future career pathways.

To assist these efforts, the legislature intends to encourage the development of a state-recognized and regionally serving regional apprenticeship preparation pilot program and associated supports. Examples of these supports include funding for staff to oversee the program and other funding needed to establish the program and secure necessary agreements with local stakeholders including unions, state registered apprenticeship programs, and school districts. The legislature intends for this program to be known as the regional apprenticeship preparation pilot program.” [ 2023 c 128 § 1.]