(a) Sections 1292, 1293, 1294, and 1294.5 shall not apply to any of the following:

(1) Courses of training in vocational or manual training schools or in state institutions.

(2) Apprenticeship training provided in an apprenticeship training program established pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3.

(3) Work experience education programs conducted pursuant to either or both Section 29007.5 and Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 5985) of Chapter 6 of Division 6 of the Education Code, provided that the work experience coordinator determines that the students have been sufficiently trained in the employment or work otherwise prohibited by these sections, if parental approval is obtained, and the principal or the counselor of the student has determined that the progress of the student toward graduation will not be impaired.

(b) Section 1294.1 shall not apply to the following persons as provided by Section 570.72 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

(1) Student-learners in a bona fide vocational agriculture program working in the occupations specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1294.1 under a written agreement that provides that the student-learner’s work is incidental to training, intermittent, for short periods of time, and under close supervision of a qualified person, and includes all of the following:

(A) Safety instructions given by the school and correlated with the student-learners’s on-the-job training.

(B) A schedule of organized and progressive work processes for the student-learner.

(C) The name of the student-learner.

(D) The signature of the employer and a school authority, each of whom must keep copies of the agreement.

(2) Minors 14 or 15 years of age who hold certificates of completion of either a tractor operation or a machine operation program and who are working in the occupations for which they have been trained. These certificates are valid only for the occupations specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1294.1. Farmers employing minors who have completed this program shall keep a copy of the certificates of completion on file with the minor’s records.

(3) Minors 14 and 15 years old who hold certificates of completion of either a tractor operation or a machine operation program of the United States Office of Education Vocational Agriculture Training Program and are working in the occupations for which they have been trained. These certificates are valid only for the occupations specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1294.1. Farmers employing minors who have completed this program shall keep a copy of the certificate of completion on file with the minor’s records.

(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 91, Sec. 105. Effective January 1, 1996.)