Volume 41 - Issue 37 - September 15, 2022

State of Kansas

Office of the Governor

Executive Order No. 22-07
Establishing the Office of Registered Apprenticeship

WHEREAS, Kansas is committed to a shared vision of increased prosperity and improved well-being for all Kansans;

WHEREAS, to grow our economy, Kansas must cultivate a highly educated and skilled workforce that is prepared for careers of the future;

WHEREAS, through the Governor’s Council on Education and the Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council, the Kelly Administration endeavors to create the best trained workforce in the Midwest, expand opportunity for students, and bring economic prosperity to all corners of the state;

WHEREAS, apprenticeships grow the workforce, strengthen our economy, and improve quality of life for Kansans;

WHEREAS, employer designed and driven apprenticeships provide structured on-the-job learning, job-related education, wage progress, mentorship, and valuable credentials;

WHEREAS, apprenticeships provide benefits to large and small employers, associations, organizations, community and technical colleges, and career seekers ensuring occupational proficiency;

WHEREAS, apprenticeships connect skilled workers with good-paying jobs and build a qualified workforce with the skills needed to fill job openings and reduce turnover;

WHEREAS, apprenticeships incorporate classroom instruction, create pathways to attain post-secondary education, and provide critical training that can lead to high-quality employment opportunities;

WHEREAS, the State of Kansas seeks to promote registered apprenticeships across the state to maximize the workforce pipeline, economic growth, and quality of life.

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Kansas, I hereby establish the Office of Registered Apprenticeship and order the following:

1. The Office of Registered Apprenticeship shall be a part of the Kansas Department of Commerce. The Office of Registered Apprenticeship shall be led by the Director of Internships and Apprenticeship and shall be supported by such other personnel as the Kansas Department of Commerce shall commit.
2. The Office of Registered Apprenticeship shall:
   1. Evaluate, and report annually on, the extent, quality, and impact of registered apprenticeships in Kansas;
   2. Develop strategies to modernize the registered apprenticeship program to include additional industries including healthcare, education, IT, agricultural manufacturing, and distribution and logistics – all critical industries in Kansas;
   3. Develop and advocate for registered apprenticeship program policies that place a special focus on veterans, women, people of color, those formerly incarcerated, and others with barriers to successful employment;
   4. Take such steps as are necessary to implement those strategies, including, but not limited to:
      1. Promote access to, and use of, the registered apprenticeship program as one strategy to address skills gaps and fill the career pipelines across the state;
      2. Develop strong partnerships with employers, workforce boards, training providers, higher education providers, and other stakeholders;
      3. Collaborate with K-12 and higher education stakeholders and state-level agencies to prepare students for apprenticeship opportunities and align the needs of the education and business sectors;
      4. Implement strategies to retain talent in the state by connecting young people to good jobs immediately after high school or college;
      5. Expand the use of youth and pre-apprenticeship models and work-based learning for high school students as a bridge to the registered apprenticeship program;
      6. Generate public awareness of the value of registered apprenticeships;
      7. Support and serve as a resource provider for intermediaries in the registered apprenticeship program;
      8. Engage with the Kansas Apprenticeship Council to place greater emphasis on the size and scope of the program across industry sectors, geography, and educational backgrounds;
      9. Pursue and leverage federal sources of apprenticeship funding to achieve state apprenticeship and workforce goals;
      10. Utilize the network of Apprenticeship Champions from across the country that are working to expand, diversify, and modernize registered apprenticeship to better serve workers, employers, and communities.
      11. Convene relevant state and federal agencies and advise the Governor and state agency leadership on actions needed to pursue state goals related to apprenticeships.
3. All Kansas executive branch agencies, authorities, and departments shall support the work of, and coordinate with, the Office of Registered Apprenticeship and shall lend support to such work to the greatest extent possible without compromising existing responsibilities of those agencies, authorities, and departments.

This document shall be filed with the Secretary of State as Executive Order No. 22-07. It shall become effective immediately and remain in force until rescinded.

Dated September 6, 2022.

Laura Kelly
Governor

Doc. No. 050504