Washington Revised Code Title 28A. Common School Provisions § 28A.630.145. Regional apprenticeship preparation pilot program (Expires June 30, 2027)

(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:

(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.