Government Youth Apprenticeship Program Stipends

The bill creates the government youth apprenticeship stipend program (program) in the state work force development council (council) to provide grants to certain nonprofit organizations to enable the nonprofit organizations to provide stipends to governmental entities that offer government youth apprenticeships. The bill specifies that governmental entities include the state and any state agency or institution, including the judicial and legislative departments, a county, city and county, incorporated city or town, school district, special improvement district, and authority.

The bill specifies the dates by which a nonprofit organization must apply to the council for grant money and dates by which the council is required to award and distribute the grants to one or more nonprofit organizations. The nonprofit organizations that receive a grant are required to use the grant money to distribute stipends to governmental entities that apply for the stipend.

The bill specifies limitations on the amount of the stipend that may be provided to a governmental entity for a single government youth apprenticeship. The bill also specifies limitations on the number of stipends that may be provided to a single governmental entity in any calendar year. In addition, the bill specifies that a nonprofit organization that receives grant money is required to use at least 20% of the total amount awarded to provide stipends to governmental entities located in a rural area.

A governmental entity must apply to a nonprofit organization that received a grant to receive a stipend for its government youth apprenticeship. To be eligible to receive a stipend, a governmental entity is required to satisfy certain specified criteria, including the contribution of at least $2,000 toward the costs of a government youth apprenticeship. A governmental entity that receives a stipend is required to use the money from the stipend, as well as the $2,000 that the governmental entity contributes to the government youth apprenticeship, only for certain specified purposes.

The bill creates the government youth apprenticeship stipend fund (fund) in the state treasury and requires the state treasurer to transfer $2 million from the general fund to the fund in the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 state fiscal years.

The council is required to submit an annual report on the program as part of the Colorado talent pipeline report that is prepared and submitted to the governor and the general assembly.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)