Sponsor Testimony on HB 181 — House Commerce and Labor Committee

Summary

Sponsor testimony on HB 181 to the House Commerce and Labor Committee. The testimony says the bill would require licensing boards to recognize applicants who complete registered apprenticeships, and that a business can file either with the state of Ohio or the United States Department of Labor to become an approved apprenticeship program. It states that apprentices would earn money while they train with a private sector company instead of paying thousands of dollars for a year of required education. It says the Economic & Workforce Development Committee heard sponsor and proponent testimony in the last General Assembly and that professional engineers and boiler operators were removed from the bill.

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Full text

Chairman Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan, and members of the
House Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for the opportunity today to present sponsor
testimony on HB 181.
HB 181 will break down barriers for Ohioans obtaining recognized apprenticeships with private
sector businesses, by requiring licensing boards to recognize applicants who complete registered
apprenticeships.
Currently, the path to earning licensure for occupations often requires exponential time and
money to obtain.
      This bill solves the problem by allowing an alternative pathway to obtaining a license by
       allowing government approved private sector created apprenticeships to fulfill costly
       licensing requirements.
      A business can file either with the state of Ohio or United States Department of Labor to
       become an approved apprenticeship program.


Ohioans are seeking opportunities to experience the Freedom to Work. Rather than paying
thousands of dollars for a year of the state’s required education, apprentices will be able to earn
money while they train with a private sector company in need of their talent. This reform helps
individuals by giving them a chance to earn a paycheck while they work towards obtaining their
license. Studies have shown that businesses receive a larger return on investment from
employees who have completed apprenticeship training, encouraging them to hire more
employees and creating more work opportunities.
The bottom line is that apprenticeships are a cost-effective and expedited way for workers to
receive training, ultimately solving the workforce shortage we have in our communities and
removing barriers to entry, especially for young and low-income individuals who want to enter
the workforce.
These apprenticeship programs must include both hands-on training and education hours in order
to be approved by the US Department of Labor or the state of Ohio, thus already fulfilling
licensure requirements.
Last General Assembly, the Economic & Workforce Development Committee heard sponsor and
proponent testimony on this legislation. We worked with the professional engineers to remove
them from the bill, along with boiler operators. Proponents included Americans for Prosperity,
Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio, Opportunity Solutions Project, and Small Business
Consultants of Ohio.
I am happy to answer any questions that the Committee might have at this time.


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