§ 34:15E-5 — Grant eligibility

5. a. To be eligible for a grant from the partnership, a consortium shall include: (1) Each employer that employs apprentices in connection with the grant or participates in developing or providing linkage services pursuant to section 6 of this act; (2) Each educational institution that provides classroom training or education to the apprentices or participates in developing or providing linkage services pursuant to section 6 or 7 of this act; and (3) Any labor organization which represents workers employed by a participating employer. b. The consortium may also include: (1) Any business or trade organization representing the employer; and (2) Any labor organization which represents workers in the occupation for which the apprentices will be trained. c. Each consortium applying for a grant from the partnership shall submit an application to the committee in a form and manner prescribed by the committee. Each application from a consortium shall describe how each participant in the consortium will carry out its responsibilities in establishing a permanent apprenticeship program, including the role of each employer, educational institution and, where applicable, labor organization, in developing curriculum and occupation skill standards, the role of each employer in providing skilled workers as job coaches and mentors for apprentices and the role of each participant in establishing and operating related linkage programs pursuant to section 6 or 7 of this act. The application shall include a comprehensive long-term human resource development plan from each participating employer and a commitment from participating employers to continue participation in the apprenticeship program on a long-term basis significantly beyond the term of the grant. d. Each member of the committee and each member of the council may direct or request the department or agency that member represents on the committee or council to provide whatever technical assistance the member deems appropriate in the preparation of an application by a consortium. e. Each business, business organization, labor organization and educational institution included in a consortium applying for a grant shall be permitted to participate in planning for the use of grant moneys. No grant moneys shall be provided to a business employing workers represented by a labor organization without the written consent of both the business and the collective bargaining unit and, where no labor organization represents the employees, no grant shall be provided without the written consent of both the business and a labor organization, if any exists, which represents workers in the occupation for which the apprentices will be trained. f. Grants awarded pursuant to this section or section 6 or 7 of this act shall be awarded by the committee, in consultation with the council, based on the committee's determination of which applying consortia are most likely to successfully create permanent new apprenticeship programs in occupations or industries which do not currently have apprenticeship programs in this State or are most likely to successfully create linkage programs for new or existing apprenticeship programs in compliance with the requirements of this act. When considering applications for grants made pursuant to this section or section 6 or 7 of this act, the committee shall give priority to any applicant which made a valid application to the Department of Education for a Youth Apprenticeship grant prior to June 15, 1993. The committee, the Department of Labor and the Department of Education shall provide assistance to the applicant in making whatever modifications are necessary to bring the application into compliance with the provisions of this act. If the occupation for which training was to be provided under the Youth Apprenticeship grant application is not an occupation which currently has an apprenticeship program in this State, the committee, the Department of Labor and the Department of Education shall assist the applicant in modifying the application so that it provides for the creation of a new apprenticeship program. g. Except that a grant to establish linkage programs pursuant to sections 6 and 7 of this act for an existing apprenticeship program which shall provide funding only for the linkage programs, each grant to a consortium shall include subgrants to each of the following consortium participants that seeks a subgrant: (1) A subgrant to each participating employer to pay costs to the employer during the term of the grant related to the establishment or operation of the apprenticeship program and any associated linkage program established pursuant to sections 6 and 7 of this act, except for the wages of apprentices or student learners, which shall be paid entirely by the employer. The costs paid by the subgrant may include, but are not limited to: employer costs of developing curriculum and occupation skill standards; employer costs of providing skilled workers as job coaches and mentors or other employer-sponsored services for apprentices or student learners, including tuition for classes at the option of the employer when not available from other sources; and other employer costs in establishing and operating related linkage programs pursuant to section 6 or 7 of this act, including any employer involvement in counseling and recruitment efforts. These subgrants shall be administered by the committee and shall be financed by moneys appropriated to the partnership pursuant to this act. A subgrant may also be provided pursuant to this paragraph to a participating labor organization which incurs costs related to the grant; (2) A subgrant to each participating educational institution providing classroom training and education for apprentices under the grant to pay costs to the institution during the term of the grant related to the establishment or operation of the apprenticeship program, which may include, but are not limited to, staff and staff development costs, costs of developing curriculum and occupational skill standards, costs of child care for apprentices who are parents, and costs related to increased responsibilities for apprenticeship coordinators when not available from other sources. These subgrants shall be financed by moneys appropriated to the partnership pursuant to this act and shall be administered by the committee in consultation with the Chancellor of Higher Education, and the committee is authorized to require such matching funds from the institution as the committee deems appropriate; (3) A subgrant to each educational institution which participates in developing or operating any linkage program established pursuant to section 6 of this act to pay costs to the institution during the term of the grant related to the linkage program which may include, but are not limited to, staff and staff development costs, costs of developing curriculum and occupational skill standards, costs of child care for student learners or apprentices who are parents, and costs related to increased responsibilities for apprenticeship coordinators when not available from other sources. These subgrants shall be financed by moneys appropriated to the partnership pursuant to this act and shall be administered by the committee, which is authorized to require such matching funds from the institution as the committee deems appropriate; and (4) A subgrant to each educational institution which participates in developing or operating any linkage program established pursuant to section 7 of this act to pay costs to the institution during the term of the grant related to the linkage program. These subgrants shall be financed by moneys appropriated to the partnership pursuant to this act and shall be administered by the committee in consultation with the Chancellor of Higher Education, and the committee is authorized to require such matching funds from the institution as the committee deems appropriate. L.1993,c.268,s.5.