Senator Portantino’s Tech Career Pipeline Bill Pass Assembly Committee

For Immediate Release: July 2, 2024

Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400

Senator Portantino’s Tech Career Pipeline Bill Pass Assembly Committee

Sacramento, California – Senate Bill 480, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank), passed the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee. The measure is aimed at better preparing students for the workforce by expanding apprenticeship programs and creating more collaboration between schools and businesses.

“It is our responsibility to ensure future generations of Californians have the opportunity to achieve a middle class life,” stated Senator Portantino. “Our current public education system is not fully preparing students to meet the needs of the ever-changing labor market. I was introduced to the South Korean Meister Program when I was visiting, and I was impressed with how it prepares high school students for jobs. The program provides a range of options for students who may not want a traditional four-year degree but who need technical expertise in the workplace. California should implement a similar program in order to prepare all high school students to enter the workforce.”

California’s diverse population faces varied economic disparities and institutional barriers that create obstacles that may make post-secondary education inaccessible. Creating work-based learning opportunities statewide would provide youth with a multitude of pathways to skilled employment that are debt-free and increase diversity and inclusion in various industries.

SB 480 will establish a pilot program that establishes three geographically diverse pilot sites to provide high school students with youth apprenticeship opportunities. The pilot, set to begin in the 2026-27 school year and end in July 2028, will be overseen by an interagency working group of stakeholders, including but not limited to the California Department of Education, State Superintendent, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, and the California Workforce Development Board. The working group will convene no later than August 1, 2025. When the pilot program concludes, the California Department of Education (CDE) will report to the Legislature an evaluation of the program.

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