West Virginia measure permits youth apprenticeships and limited teen work

The Department of Education would run a Youth Apprenticeship Program for eligible students. Public, private, and home-school students in grades 11 or 12, and students age 16 or older, could enroll. An apprenticeship could not involve work prohibited for children under age 16. A county school board would need to approve an apprenticeship for the student to receive school credit or another credential. Each apprenticeship would need a training plan, classroom instruction, on-the-job training, wages that rise over time, performance checks, and added training when needed. The enrolled text says the measure takes effect 90 days after passage, on June 8, 2026.

The measure would allow eligible youth apprentices to work on machinery tied to occupations that are not otherwise prohibited. The rule covers students enrolled in the Youth Apprenticeship Program and children under age 18 working in West Virginia. Children under 16 could work only under federal exceptions or special provisions, unless the labor commissioner prohibits the work. Children age 16 or 17 could work in occupations not barred by state law, federal rules, or the commissioner's rules. Children under 18 could not work in bars or sell, serve, or dispense alcoholic drinks, except for specified supervised retail sales by workers ages 16 through 20. The source states that the measure takes effect June 8, 2026, 90 days after its March 10 passage.

The measure would permit some students age 16 or older to perform roofing work above ground for training. The exemption covers students learning to install, wire, or repair rooftops or rooftop equipment through an approved school or private-school training program. A parent or guardian would have to give written consent to the school program and employer. The employer would need a written agreement requiring intermittent work, close supervision, school-coordinated safety instruction, and organized training steps. The source states that the measure takes effect June 8, 2026; the exemption applies while the student performs the specified training work.