Apprenticeship sponsors.

(1) One or more local apprenticeship sponsors shall be approved in any trade or group of trades by the department, upon a determination of need, if the apprenticeship sponsor meets all of the standards established by the department. The term “need” refers to the need of state residents for apprenticeship training. In the absence of proof to the contrary, it shall be presumed that there is need for apprenticeship and preapprenticeship training in each county in this state.

(2) A local apprenticeship sponsor may be a committee, a group of employers, an employer, a group of employees, an educational institution, a local workforce board, a community or faith-based organization, an association, or any combination thereof.

(3) The department may grant a variance from the standards upon a showing of good cause for the variance by program sponsors in nonconstruction trades. The purpose of this subsection is to recognize the unique and varying training requirements in nontraditional apprenticeable occupations and to authorize the department to adapt the standards to the needs of the programs.