Standards of apprenticeship

An apprenticeship program, to be eligible for approval and registration by the department, shall conform to the following standards: (a) The program is an organized, written plan embodying the terms and conditions of employment, training and supervision of one or more apprentices in an apprenticeable occupation and subscribed to by the sponsor's standards. All apprentice employees under the jurisdiction of a sponsor's standards must be duly registered; (b) A statement of the trade, craft or occupation to be taught and the required hours for completion of training; (c) An outline of the work processes in which the apprentice will receive supervised work experience and training on the job and the allocation of the approximate time to be spent in each major process; (d) A statement of the number of hours to be spent in related instruction per year. A minimum of 144 hours per year is recommended. The department may, with the advice of the Council in the best interest of apprenticeship, reduce or increase the hours of related instruction of which instruction may be given in a classroom through trade or industrial courses or by correspondence courses of equivalent value or other forms of self-study; (e) A statement of the progressively increasing scale of wages to be paid the apprentice consistent with the skill acquired, the entry wage to be not less than the average minimum wage prescribed by industry practice, public contracts, state laws, respective regulation, or by collective bargaining agreement. All apprenticeship programs within the construction industry shall have progressive wage scales negotiated on a normal percentage factor of the sponsor's minimum journeyperson completion base rate. The percentage rate will remain constant but the journeyperson completion rate will conform to the prevailing journeyperson rate posted for each project if higher than the base rate; (f) A statement that time spent in related classroom instruction, if during a scheduled work period, shall be considered as time worked and paid accordingly with the exception that hours spent in classroom instruction may not be used in computing overtime; (g) A provision for a probationary period reasonable in relation to the full apprenticeship term, with full credit given for such period toward completion of apprenticeship; during the period of probation, an apprenticeship agreement may be terminated at the request in writing of any party thereto, and that during the entire period of the apprenticeship the sponsor may terminate the apprenticeship agreement for good cause with due notice to the apprentice and a reasonable opportunity for corrective action after giving all parties notice and opportunity to be heard; (h) Provision that the services of the department may be utilized for consultation regarding the settlement of differences arising out of the apprenticeship agreement and where the differences cannot be adjusted locally, or in accordion with the established trade procedure, and such differences which cannot be amicably settled by the parties may be submitted to the department for final decision; (i) Provision for the numeric ration of apprentices to journeypersons consistent with proper supervision, training, safety, and reasonable continuity of employment, and applicable provisions in collective bargaining agreements. Each program's ratio requirements are reviewed based on such factors as specific trade requirements, availability of skilled personnel, previous training history, economic factors, affirmative action efforts and such other factors which may be pertinent to a successful program operation. Regardless of any established hiring ratio, the work site ratio shall not be less than one full-time journeyperson instructing and supervising the work of each apprentice in a specific trade; (j) Provision for transfer of employer's training obligation in a multi-employer program when an employer is unable to fulfill the obligation under the apprenticeship agreement to another employer under the same program with the consent of the apprentice and apprenticeship committee or program sponsor, with full credit to the apprentice for satisfactory time and training earned; (k) Provision for apprentices suspended because of lack of work to be reinstated before new apprentices are hired. Such periods of suspension shall not be for intermittent periods. The suspension and reinstatement of apprentices shall be done in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement or in relation to retention of the most advanced apprentice; (l) Provision for minimum qualifications required for persons entering the apprenticeship program; (m) Provision for granting of an advanced standing or credit for previously acquired experience, training, or skills for each sponsor's applicants equally, with commensurate wages for any progression so granted; (n) A provision that the employer shall instruct the apprentice in safe and healthful work practices and shall insure that the apprentice is trained in facilities and other environments that are in compliance with state and federal occupational safety and health standards; (o) A provision for the placement of an apprentice under a written apprenticeship agreement which shall directly or by reference incorporate the standards of the program as part of the agreement; (p) A provision for periodic review and evaluation of the apprentice's progress in job performance and in related instruction, and the maintenance of appropriate progress records; (q) A provision of recognition for successful completion of apprenticeship and journeyperson status evidenced by an appropriate certificate issued by the department; (r) Identification of the approval and registration agency; (s) Provision for the approval, registration, cancellation and deregistration of the program, and requirement for the prompt submission of any modification or revision thereto; (t) Provision for registration of apprenticeship agreements and revisions, notice to the department of persons who have successfully completed apprenticeship programs, and notice of terminations and suspension of apprenticeship agreements and causes therefore; (u) A documentation of the committee organization and a statement of the functions of the committee are required if the program sponsor is an apprenticeship committee; (v) A statement containing the equal opportunity pledge prescribed as follows: The recruitment, selection, employment and training of apprentices during their apprenticeship shall be without discrimination because of race, color, religious creed, age 1, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, mental retardation or physical disability including but not limited to blindness; unless such disability prevents performance of the work involved in the apprenticeship program. The sponsor will operate the apprenticeship program as required under applicable laws, regulations and executive orders. (w) Name and address of the appropriate authority under the program to receive, process and make dispositions of complaints and maintain appropriate record keeping. (Effective January 22, 1980) 1 C.G.S.-31-126 exempts apprenticeship from age requirements.