CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — An Iowa House appropriations subcommittee sent a bill ahead Monday to expand apprenticeship program sponsors and facility funding.

The “Iowa Skilled Workforce Act,” aimed at expanding facilities and resources for vocational training and apprenticeships garnered positive comments — and a few suggestions for changes — from the public and lawmakers Monday.

House File 2466 was approved by a House Appropriations subcommittee and moves next to the full committee with amendments expected. It would establish a new fund for in-person training facility development at community colleges and in the private sector and increase 84E Apprenticeship Act funding for Registered Apprenticeship programs from $3 million to $4.5 million.

The legislation would also expand who can provide apprenticeship training, encourage school districts to grow their own pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs and establish a “work-based learning coordinator,” and change the timeline and income cap of the Last-Dollar Scholarship program.

Most of the speakers during public comment voiced support for the sections of the bill relating to appropriations, with the only concern coming from Plumbers and Steam Fitters Local 33 lobbyist Jake Friedrichsen about the facilities expansion fund. He told the subcommittee he wants to make sure there is language in the bill stopping the fund from creating duplicative programming.

“We want to make sure we’re not starting new apprenticeships where ones already exist. It’s my understanding the chair may be bringing forward some language to address that,” Friedrichsen said. “We want to say that we’re appreciative of that and we’re in support of the bill.”

While not part of the appropriations mentioned in the bill, Margaret Buckton, lobbyist for Rural School Advocates of Iowa and the Urban Education Network of Iowa, said one concern she had was about the language encouraging certain actions from school districts.

As a date of implementation was included for the schools to adhere to — July 1, 2028 — when making their changes, Buckton said it makes the bill confusing on whether these are mandates or just suggestions from the Legislature.

“If it is a mandate, having a work-based learning coordinator at every single high school would be a stretch on the current budget that most school districts are looking at,” Buckton said.

Other concerns were reiterated from the higher education subcommittee meeting on the policy portions of the bill, including the limitation on unemployment benefits for training periods and a needed definition of “material breach.”

In response to a question from Rep. Jeff Cooling, D-Cedar Rapids, subcommittee chair Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said it is “obviously” the intent of House Republicans to support funding of the new facility development fund, as they wouldn’t be working to establish the program if not.

However, it will be the responsibility of House Appropriations Committee members Rep. Gary Mohr and Dan Gelbach to ensure funding the new program is “a priority in our negotiations with the Senate,” Collins said.

Collins said amendments will also be introduced to alter sections of the bill, including on Last-Dollar Scholarships, work-based learning coordinators and the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship. He added that he’s also happy to look at the sections mentioned by Buckton and Friedrichsen on the directives to school districts and the facilities fund.

“There’s a lot of pieces here and a lot of stakeholders, and I appreciate all you guys working with me throughout that process, and leadership over the interim here,” Collins said.