Section 1114 - Vermont apprenticeship advisory board(a) Creation and purpose. The Vermont Apprenticeship Advisory Board is established to advise the Department, sponsors, employers, and related-instruction providers and to promote the development and strengthening of apprenticeship programs.(b) Members and terms. (1) The Board shall be composed of the following members:(A) the Commissioner of Labor or designee, who shall serve as the Chair;(B) the Director, who shall serve as the Secretary;(C) the Secretary of Education or designee;(D) a member of the State Workforce Development Board, appointed by the Chair of the Board;(E) two representatives of a recognized union organization representing occupations with an apprenticeship program, appointed by the Governor;(F) two representatives of employer program sponsors, appointed by the Governor;(G) one representative of related instruction or training from an adult or secondary career technical education program, appointed by the Governor;(H) two representatives from underserved communities, appointed by the Governor.(2) A member other than the Commissioner of Labor, the Director, and the Secretary of Education shall be appointed to a term of three years, except as follows: (A) The member appointed pursuant to subdivision (1)(D) of this subsection shall serve an initial term of one year.(B) The members appointed pursuant to subdivisions (1)(E)-(F) of this subsection shall serve initial terms of two years.(3) If a member fails to complete the member's full term, the Governor shall appoint a new member to complete the remainder of the term.(4) A member shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.(5) Members not compensated for their time otherwise shall receive a per diem stipend for days of service to the Board and may be reimbursed for their necessary expenses incurred in attendance at meetings and in the performance of their official duties pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 1010.(c) Duties. The Board shall: (1) Receive and review reports from the Department regarding provisional and registered apprenticeship programs, including programs under development and program deregistration proceedings.(2) Advise the Department on the creation of new apprenticeable occupations.(3) Advise the Commissioner on requests for ratio variances.(4) Advise the Department on policies and procedures developed by the Department and on adoption of rules.(5) Provide technical guidance for identifying and promoting best practices in operating apprenticeship programs.(6) Create and convene working groups that are tasked with specific activities related to improving the quality, safety, diversity, and alignment of apprenticeship programs. Working group membership is not limited to appointed members of the Board and shall be selected and serve at the discretion of the Chair.(d) Meetings. (1) The Board shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently at the request of the Chair, to accomplish the objectives of the Vermont Apprenticeship Advisory Board.(2) The Board shall adhere to Vermont's Open Meeting law, including requirements for public meeting notices, publishing agendas, and recording minutes.(e) The Board shall have the administrative, technical, and legal assistance of the Department.Added by 2023 , No. 55, § 1, eff. 7/1/2023.