Continuation schools and classes: youth workforce development programs.

Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, with coauthor Assembly Member Alanis, advances a measure that would allow continuation high schools and continuation education classes to offer youth workforce development programs on one or two weekdays per school week, provided students remain enrolled in at least 15 hours of class attendance per week. The core change sits within the existing framework in which a day of attendance is 180 minutes and no pupil may be credited with more than 15 hours of attendance per week, with adjustments for holidays.

The bill adds new authority to pursue workforce development activities within continuation settings, subject to a nonbinding override of the baseline attendance rules when paired with the ongoing classroom commitment. Districts implementing such programs must establish procedures to track both pupil attendance and participation in the workforce activities. A program is defined as one supervised by a certificated employee that enables earning either academic credit or an industry certificate through workplace experiences or workforce training, with an emphasis on aligning to in‑demand careers and developing technical skills plus soft skills.

Definitions specify that the program be offered in partnership with a community college district, adult education program, regional occupational program or center, a workforce development program accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or an organization that provides industry‑recognized certifications, and that districts give priority to credentials with industry recognition. Supervisory arrangements are described as paid or unpaid on‑the‑job experiences where the training-site supervisor and certificated school personnel share responsibility for supervision.

Implementation considerations include the need for attendance and participation tracking systems, coordination with partner institutions, and staffing to supervise on‑the‑job experiences. Districts will need to schedule these activities in a way that maintains the required classroom attendance while allowing one or two weekdays for workforce activities, and to address privacy, data management, and formality of partnership agreements. The authors justify the program as a pathway to provide pupils with skills and experiences intended to support employment at a livable wage after graduation, framed around alignment to in‑demand careers and credential opportunities. The measure does not specify state funding or penalties, leaving fiscal and enforcement details to district level planning and policy development.