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2021 SESSION

21101808D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 529
Offered January 13, 2021
Prefiled January 8, 2021
Requesting the Department of Labor and Industry to study the future need for apprenticeship training programs in Virginia. Report.
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Patrons-- Simonds, Kory and Lopez
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, a strong construction industry is vital to the Commonwealth's overall economy and depends on ensuring the availability of a large, diverse pool of highly skilled, well-trained craft personnel; and

WHEREAS, mass retirement of the aging members of the construction workforce and the failure to adequately recruit the next generation of construction workers have left many projects undermanned, leading to crippled construction project delivery systems across the country; and

WHEREAS, construction fatalities are becoming increasingly more common; and

WHEREAS, the future needs of the construction industry are expected to change dramatically in response to recent developments in industrialization, such as automation, prefabrication and offsite construction, additive manufacturing techniques, building efficiency standards, sustainability considerations, and other developments; and

WHEREAS, the following measures are needed to promote future economic growth and prosperity: rebuilding and modernizing state and local infrastructure systems, attracting investments in large commercial and heavy industrial projects, supporting the development and acceleration of renewable energy sources, fostering both state and local economic development programs, and expanding the Commonwealth's partnerships with the federal government; and

WHEREAS, large-scale investments in infrastructure would increase the need for skilled laborers to implement the updates and projects and, given a recent wave of retirements, a lack of highly skilled, well-trained craft personnel is expected to affect the economy and the workforce; and

WHEREAS, registered apprenticeship programs are adaptable to future skills requirements and made more adaptive and digitally focused to better prepare future members of the construction industry; and

WHEREAS, registered apprenticeship programs are the most effective means for safely developing members of the workforce into highly skilled, well-trained craft personnel needed by the Commonwealth for future economic development; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Labor and Industry be requested to study the future need for apprenticeship training programs in Virginia.

In conducting its study, the Department of Labor and Industry (the Department) shall consider (i) the future workforce needs of the construction industry; (ii) the economic impacts of a lack of highly skilled, well-trained craft personnel; (iii) workforce needs in the construction industry in response to potential large-scale investments in infrastructure by the federal government; (iv) what role apprenticeship programs will play in the development and acceleration of new industries, such as renewable energy; (v) whether the expansion of apprenticeships would contribute to greater diversity in construction workforce participation from women and people of color; and (vi) how expanding apprenticeship training programs would affect job security and workplace safety in the Commonwealth. In addition, the Department shall undertake an in-depth study of best practices used by state governments and convene a stakeholder advisory group to discuss expanding critically needed apprenticeship training programs in the Commonwealth's construction industry. The stakeholder advisory group shall consist of the Chief Workforce Development Advisor, a representative from the Virginia State Building and Construction Trades Council, a representative from the Virginia School Counselor Association, a representative from Dominion Energy Virginia, a representative from the Alliance for Construction Excellence, a representative from the Join Apprenticeship Training Council, and an educator in career and technical education from the Virginia Regional Education Center.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Department of Labor and Industry for this study, upon request.

The Department of Labor and Industry shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2021, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.