Learning Aligned Employment Program (LAEP)

Employer applications will be provided and submitted for approval. The application will include and require the following documents:

• Completed Employer Agreement
• Vendor application
• W-9
• Certificate of Insurance
• Detailed Job Description(s) for each proposed student position

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The LAEP program is paid work experience. The worksite is the hiring party and will determine the hourly wages set at a comparable rate depending on the position the student is hired in. The goal for LAEP is to have gainful employment upon completion of their hours in the program.

Per California Education Code Section 69959(a), a student participating in LAEP shall only be placed in an educationally beneficial position related to the student's area of study, career objective, or the exploration of career objectives.

• The position must be educationally beneficial or related to a particular career interest or the exploration of career options.
• The work performed by the student shall not be related to the activities of any sectarian organization or to any partisan or nonpartisan political activities.
• The employment of a learning-aligned employment student shall not displace workers currently employed by the Employer or impair existing contracts for services.
• The learning-aligned employment position shall not violate any applicable collective bargaining agreements or fill any vacancies due to a labor dispute.
• The student shall be paid at a comparable rate to that paid for comparable positions within the Employer. If the employing organization has no comparable position, the student shall be paid at a rate comparable to that paid by other organizations in the field for work involving comparable duties and responsibilities. The positions shall be compared on the basis of the nature of the work and the employer shall provide the student with reasonable supervision performed, the background/skills required for the position, and not upon the employee's part-time or student status.
• LAEP funds shall not supplant any state, federal, or institutional funds used to support existing paid positions for students in for-profit or nonprofit organizations.

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Approved LAEP employers can bill the Bakersfield College Financial Aid department every 30 days for the hourly wages worked by the student employee. The Employer shall provide the Institution with an accurate accounting of hours worked and wages earned. The total compensation received by the student pursuant to LAEP shall not exceed the total amount authorized by Bakersfield College.

Nonprofit employers will be reimbursed 90% of student wages.

Nonprofit is defined as nonsectarian, nonpolitical organization or corporation licensed to conduct business in California, if they are capable of providing participating students with full-time employment opportunities, or opportunities to connect with other employers capable of providing participating students with full-time employment opportunities, within their areas of study after graduation.

For-profit employers will be reimbursed 50% of student wages.

For-profit is defined as nonsectarian, nonpolitical organization or corporation licensed to conduct business in California, if they are capable of providing participating students with full-time employment opportunities, or opportunities to connect with other employers capable of providing participating students with full-time employment opportunities, within their areas of study after graduation.

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