(1) It is the intent of the State of Florida to provide educational opportunities for its residents so that they can be trained for trades, occupations, and professions suited to their abilities. It is the intent of this act to promote the mode of training known as apprenticeship in occupations throughout industry in the state that require physical manipulative skills. By broadening job training opportunities and providing for increased coordination between public school academic programs, career programs, and registered apprenticeship programs, the residents of this state will benefit from the valuable training opportunities developed when on-the-job training is combined with academic-related classroom experiences. This act is intended to develop the apparent potentials in apprenticeship training by assisting in the establishment of preapprenticeship programs in the public school system and elsewhere and by expanding presently registered programs as well as promoting new registered programs in jobs that lend themselves to apprenticeship training.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Education have responsibility for the development of the apprenticeship and preapprenticeship uniform minimum standards for the apprenticeable trades and that the department have responsibility for assisting district school boards and Florida College System institution boards of trustees in developing preapprenticeship programs.
(3) It is the further intent of ss. 446.011-446.092 that the department ensure quality training through the adoption and enforcement of uniform minimum standards and that the department promote, register, monitor, and service apprenticeship and training programs and ensure that the programs adhere to the standards. (4) It is the intent of the Legislature that this act not require the use of apprentices on construction projects financed by the state or any county, municipality, town or township, public authority, special district, municipal service taxing unit, or other agency of state or local government. Notwithstanding this intent, whenever any government or agency of government employs, of its own choice, apprentices or employs contractors who employ apprentices, the behavior of the government and the contractors employed by the government shall be governed by the provisions of this act.
