DAS announces appointment to Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship
Oakland—The Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR’s) Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Orrian Willis as a public representative of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (IACA). He will represent the perspective of public agencies and organizations. His term is effective through November 2028. Willis is an active IACA member who serves on the Public Sector Committee. He brings a depth of knowledge about the role innovative apprenticeships can play in filling labor shortages and closing inequity gaps.
What DIR Director Katie Hagen said: “Apprenticeships are at the core of the state’s career education plans, and IACA plays a central role in guiding these efforts. I am pleased to have Orrian Willis’ insights as DIR carves a path forward with earn-and-learn programs.”
What DAS Chief Adele Burnes said: “A key part of expanding apprenticeships is creating meaningful teams with real-world experience that can successfully integrate workforce development systems. Willis exemplifies this ideal, and his guidance will help steer apprenticeship programs in a direction that benefits both employers and employees.”
Orrian Willis resides in the Bay Area and has over 14 years of career experience in workforce development. He works at the City of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, where he manages the TechSF Initiative. This program prepares young people for careers in technology and places hundreds of underrepresented jobseekers each year. He also played a major role in expanding apprentices for the City of San Francisco.
Willis served on the US Department of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships. He’s a first-generation college student who studied urban planning at San Francisco State University. His career path has given him valuable interpersonal knowledge about barriers people face when striving for upward mobility.
The Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship guides standards and agreements for apprenticeships in non-traditional sectors such as healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing. IACA is comprised of subcommittees within these fields that weigh in on the direction of registered pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. The committee was established in 2018 under the Shelley-Maloney Apprentice Labor Standards Act with the passage of Senate Bill 235. The next IACA meeting is scheduled for April 29.
Media Contact:Communications@dir.ca.gov, (510) 286-1161