General duties of the department for apprenticeship training.

The department shall:

(1)(a) Establish uniform minimum standards and policies governing apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs and agreements which must require training providers to submit data necessary to determine program performance consistent with state and federal law. The standards and policies:

1. Shall govern the terms and conditions of the apprentice’s employment and training, including the quality training of the apprentice for, but not limited to, such matters as ratios of apprentices to journeyworkers, safety, related instruction, and on-the-job training; but these standards and policies may not include rules, standards, or guidelines that require the use of apprentices and job trainees on state, county, or municipal contracts.

2. Must allow an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program to partner with a local educational agency and determine an equitable split of apprenticeship funding. The local educational agency must ensure that all parties understand the total amount of apprenticeship funding and allocations. The terms of a partnership between an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program and a local educational agency must be documented in an agreement or a contract. A local educational agency may not impose additional fees or withhold additional funds beyond the agreed-upon amount in such agreement or contract unless explicitly outlined to ensure financial clarity and prevent unexpected costs for apprenticeship and preapprenticeship program sponsors.

(b) Adopt rules necessary to administer the standards and policies.

(2) By November 30 of each year, publish an annual report on apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs. The report must be published on the department’s website and, at a minimum, include all of the following:

(a) A list of registered apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs, sorted by local educational agency, as defined in s. 1004.02(18), and apprenticeship sponsor, under s. 446.071.

(b) A detailed summary of each local educational agency’s and apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program’s responsibilities, costs, and expenditure of funds for apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs, including, but not limited to, all the following:

1. The total amount of funds received and expended for apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs.

2. The total amount of funds received and allocated by training provider, program, and occupation.

3. The total amount of funds expended for administrative costs by training provider, program, and occupation, and the total number of personnel hours required to administer each apprenticeship and preapprenticeship program.

4. The total amount of funds expended for instructional costs by training provider, program, and occupation.

(c) The number of apprentices and preapprentices per trade and occupation.

(d) The percentage of apprentices and preapprentices who complete their respective programs in the appropriate timeframe.

(e) Information and resources related to applications for new apprenticeship programs and technical assistance and requirements for potential applicants.

(f) Documentation of activities conducted by the department to promote apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs through public engagement, community-based partnerships, and other initiatives and the outcomes of such activities and their impact on establishing or expanding apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs.

(g) Retention and completion rates of participants disaggregated by training provider, program, and occupation.

(h) Wage progression of participants as demonstrated by starting, exit, and postapprenticeship wages at 1 and 5 years after participants exit the program.

(3) Provide assistance to district school boards, Florida College System institution boards of trustees, program sponsors, and local workforce development boards in notifying students, parents, and members of the community of the availability of apprenticeship and preapprenticeship opportunities, including data provided in the economic security report under s. 445.07 and other state career planning resources.

(4) Establish procedures to be used by the State Apprenticeship Advisory Council.

(5)(a) Develop a standard model contract template to be used by local educational agencies and apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs. At a minimum, the contract template shall include sections to address the following:

1. The parties to the contract.

2. The duration of the contract.

3. The funds paid or received pursuant to the contract.

4. The responsibilities assigned to each party to the contract, including which party is responsible for providing equipment, related technical instruction, and on-the-job training; hiring instructors and evaluating such instructors’ credentials and qualifications; and providing administrative support, including any reporting requirements.

5. A requirement that each party follow all applicable federal and state laws and insurance requirements.

6. The execution of such contract.

(b) A local educational agency and an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program provider that partner to provide apprenticeship or preapprenticeship education and training programs must define their respective roles in the partnership agreement and establish how the funding will be divided. The partnership agreement must divide the funding based on the responsibilities that the local educational agency and the apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program provider will hold in the partnership agreement.

1. If the local educational agency does not provide classroom space, related technical instruction, or on-the-job training services, its role is deemed to be administrative only and its funding share may not exceed 10 percent.

2. If the local educational agency and the apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program provider share the responsibilities of providing administrative support, classroom space, related technical instruction, and on-the-job training, the manner in which the agency and provider divide the funding must be directly tied to each of their responsibilities under the partnership agreement.

(6) By July 1, 2026, develop an apprenticeship and preapprenticeship funding transparency tool showing historical funding amounts provided to school district and Florida College System institution apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs from workforce development funds and other funds appropriated by the Legislature. The transparency tool shall be published on the Department of Education’s website and shall include historical funding amounts searchable by the source of funds, school district, or Florida College System institution for the preceding 3 fiscal years.