Child Labor Laws and Youth Apprenticeship Program Areas

Youth apprentices enrolled in approved youth apprenticeship programs and their employers are subject to all state and general child labor laws regarding the employment of minors. The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will review all statewide youth apprenticeship curriculum for compliance with the child labor laws and will clarify the laws whenever necessary to allow for program implementation. Youth apprentices are allowed to work in some prohibited occupations because they meet the criteria of "student learner" as defined in the law, but they are not exempt from the child labor laws with regard to daily/weekly hours, time of day employment, etc.

Hours of Work
All apprentices ages 16-17 and employers must comply with child labor laws cited below with regard to daily/weekly hours, and time of day employment.The hours an apprentice spends working in the program during the hours school is in session during the day do not count toward these work hours.

MAXIMUM HOURS OF WORK

Daily
School days: Except last school day of week	5 Hours
Last day of the week and non-school day	8 Hours
Day during non-school week	Unlimited
Weekly
School week	26 Hours
School week less than 5 days	32 Hours
Non-school week	50 Hours

PERMITTED TIME OF DAY

School day	7am - 11pm
Last school day of school week	7am - 12:30pm
Non-school day preceding school day	5am - 11pm
Maximum days per week	6 days

Please note these additional child labor laws regarding length and time of work:
* If a youth apprentice is under 16 years old, work with your local youth apprenticeship coordinator to determine allowable hours and work activities.
* Following the end of work, 8 hours of rest is required before the start of work the next day.
* Work must be directly supervised by an adult between the hours of 12:30am - 5am.
* Minors are limited to the maximum hours and time of day restrictions even though they may work for more than one employer.
* All minors must have a 1/2 hour meal period after 6 consecutive hours of work.

Work Permits
Youth apprentices and employers participating in an approved program who have a signed Education/Training Agreement do not need to obtain a separate work permit for the work performed as a part of the Youth Apprenticeship Program (although one is recommended). A work permit is required for work performed which is not part of the youth apprenticeship program.

Automotive

As of Feb 14, 2006 and as a result of a cooperative effort with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), restrictions regarding minors working in or around hoists and hoisting apparatus and driving motor vehicles have been modified to allow high school employees to be productive dealership employees. The prohibition regarding minors working around hoists has been changed by creating an exception under DWD 270.12(12)(c), that allows, "Minors 16 and 17 years of age may operate floor jacks, service jacks, hand jacks, drive-on lifts, and arm lifts used in conjunction with repairing or servicing motor vehicles."

DWD made modifications to the restrictions regarding motor vehicle drivers and outside helpers under DWD 270.12(21) that allows for incidental and occasional driving by 17 year olds. "Incidental and occasional driving is defined as, no more than one-third of the employees work time in any workday and no more than 20 percent of an employees work time in any workweek." Further the rule states in part that:

Minors who are at least 17 years of age may drive motor vehicles on public roadways when all of the following conditions are met:

1. The driving is only occasional and incidental to the minor's participant.
2. The driving is restricted to daylight hours.
3. The driving takes place within a 30-mile radius of the dealership.
4. The vehicle does not exceed 6,000 GVW.
5. They hold a valid state driver's license.
6. They have no record of moving violations at the time of hire.
7. The vehicle is equipped with the appropriate number of safety belts and the minor receives instruction that they are to wear a safety belt at all times when driving or riding.
8. Driving does not involve any of the following:
a. Towing of vehicles.
b. Route deliveries or route sales.
c. Transportation fore hire.
d. Transporting more than 3 other employees of the same employer as the minor.
e. No more than 2 trips away from the dealership in a single day, if the purpose of the trip is to deliver goods.

Manufacturing - Machining, Plastics, Production

Drill presses, grinder wheels, lathes an portable power-driven machinery such as drills, sanders and floor maintenance equipment such as polishers and scrubbers.

Metal forming, punching and shearing power-driven machines (270.06(11))
Circular saws, bandsaws, and guillotine shears (270.06(17))

1. operate an elevator, crane, derrick, hoist or high-lift truck (including hoists commonly used on tow trucks and other hoists), except an air operated hoist not exceeding one-ton capacity;
2. perform work that involves riding on a man lift or on a freight elevator, except a freight elevator operated by an assigned operator;
3. assist in the operation of a crane, derrick or hoist performed by crane hookers, crane chasers, hookers-on, riggers, rigger helpers and like occupations.

Students under age 18 may operate an automatic elevator and an automatic signal operation elevator under certain conditions. Refer to Ind 270.06(7) for exceptions and definitions of the terms used in this section.

Federal child labor laws prohibit students under age 16 from performing any duties in workrooms or workplaces where goods are manufactured or processed. Any youth apprentices who are under age 16 when they begin in this area must be assigned to other duties until they reach their 16^th birthday.

Graphic Arts/Printing

Heath Services

Ind 270.06(7m) Infectious agent. Youth apprentices must meet the student learner criteria if they will be involved in duties relating to exposure to bacterial, mycoplasma, fungal, parasitic or viral agents identified by the department by rule as causing illness in humans or human fetuses or both, which is introduced by an employer to be used, studied, or produced in the workplace. "Infectious agent" does not include such an agent in or on the body of a person who is present in the workplace for diagnosis or treatment.

Note: Some businesses require that employees providing patient care must be certified as nursing assistants. This is not a state requirement. Students who have learned specific competencies required for certification, which have been verified by a registered nurse may perform these duties before they are certified. Students will meet all competencies required for the Certified Nursing Assistant by the end of the first semester of the program.

Biotechnology