1. Application; eligibility. A sponsor may apply with the Maine Apprenticeship Program for review and certification of a preapprenticeship training program. [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for certification, a preapprenticeship training program must: A. Meet the requirements of this section and any rules adopted by the department under this section; [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] B. Have a documented outreach plan to increase registered apprenticeship opportunities for underrepresented, disadvantaged or low-skilled individuals and members of historically marginalized communities; [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] C. Conform to standards identified by the United States Department of Labor for a quality framework for preapprenticeship; [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] D. Comply with state and federal law regarding equal employment opportunity in apprenticeship and training; [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] E. Have a training program and curriculum based on industry standards and approved by the Maine Apprenticeship Program, upon recommendation by the Maine Apprenticeship Council, that will prepare individuals with the skills and competencies needed to enter a registered apprenticeship program; [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] F. Have supervised hands-on training and workplace safety training; and [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] G. Have a formalized agreement with a registered apprenticeship sponsor that enables preapprenticeship graduates to enter directly into a registered apprenticeship program and includes articulation agreements for earning credit for skills and competencies already acquired. [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] 3. Certification. The Maine Apprenticeship Program shall review an application for certification of a preapprenticeship training program and shall give a preapprenticeship training program that meets the standards for certification a provisional certification for a period of one year. The Maine Apprenticeship Program shall review a preapprenticeship training program for quality and conformity with the requirements of this section at the end of the first year after certification. A program that conforms to the requirements may have its provisional certification made permanent or may continue to be provisionally certified through the first full training cycle. [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] 4. Evaluation. The Maine Apprenticeship Program shall evaluate the performance of a certified preapprenticeship training program. The evaluation must include: A. An assessment of the preapprenticeship training program's educational content; [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] B. A review of the preapprenticeship training program's compliance with state and federal law regarding equal employment opportunity in apprenticeship and training; [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] C. A review of the preapprenticeship training program's efforts to achieve equity goals for recruitment and training of preapprentices from historically marginalized communities; and [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] D. A summary of completion rates and rates of enrollment in and graduation from registered apprenticeship programs following completion of the preapprenticeship training program. [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] 5. Decertification. The Maine Apprenticeship Program may decertify a preapprenticeship training program upon a finding of reasonable cause or by request of the program. [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).] 6. Funding. As funds are available, the Maine Apprenticeship Program, through the department and in consultation with the Maine Apprenticeship Council, as considered appropriate and permissible by the department, shall make available grants to support certified preapprenticeship training programs under this section. A certified preapprenticeship training program shall use the grants to provide meaningful support and stipends to facilitate enrollment and participation in the program. Support may include funding for child care, transportation, training materials, membership fees and costs, tools and personal protective equipment and reimbursement of other expenses that may be incurred by an individual to facilitate the individual's attendance and participation in the certified preapprenticeship training program; funding for assistance to address obstacles to and to identify and access services necessary for successful participation in the certified preapprenticeship training program; and funding for facilitating an individual's readiness to commence on-the-job learning in a registered apprenticeship program. Stipends may include cash payments. In allocating grants among certified preapprenticeship training programs, the Maine Apprenticeship Program shall allocate at least 51% of total grant funding to support certified preapprenticeship training programs that have: A. Demonstrated successful engagement and enrollment of and completion by individuals from historically marginalized communities and successful placement and enrollment of and completion by individuals from historically marginalized communities in registered apprenticeship programs; [PL 2025, c. 306, §1 (NEW).] B. Consistently placed individuals in registered apprenticeship programs that result in a total package value of no less than $35 per hour upon graduation from the registered apprenticeship program, based on Maine Apprenticeship Program evaluations as required pursuant to section 3204, subsection 2. On January 15, 2026 and each January 15th thereafter, the minimum total package value amount under this paragraph must be increased by the increase, if any, in the cost of living. The increase in the cost of living is measured by the percentage increase, if any, as of August of the previous year over the level as of August of the year preceding that year in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, CPI-W, for the Northeast Region, or its successor index, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics or its successor agency, with the amount of the minimum total package value increase rounded to the nearest multiple of 5¢; and [PL 2025, c. 306, §1 (NEW).] C. Demonstrated the provision of strong, comprehensive support services essential to ensure success, either through the use of funds provided under this subsection or through workforce funds provided by a different source. [PL 2025, c. 306, §1 (NEW).] Certified preapprenticeship training programs that cannot produce proof that graduates are employed in the field of their preapprenticeship after a period of 6 months following successful completion of their certified preapprenticeship training program or are represented by a labor organization are ineligible for grants under this subsection. Funding for grants to support preapprenticeship training programs must be awarded to certified preapprenticeship training programs with strong direct entry links with registered apprenticeship programs through a competitive process administered by the department through the Maine Apprenticeship Program and to certified preapprenticeship training programs that train individuals for priority sectors for high-wage, in-demand jobs. Funding for grants to support certified preapprenticeship training programs may also be used for program development, support and staffing for grantees. [PL 2025, c. 306, §1 (AMD).] 7. Rulemaking. The department shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to implement the provisions of this section. [PL 2021, c. 705, §12 (NEW).]
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