(1) Whenever the employment of a student learner at wages lower than the minimum wage applicable under RCW 49.46.020 is believed necessary to prevent curtailment of opportunities for employment, an application for a special certificate authorizing the employment of such student learner at subminimum wages shall be filed by the employer with the director of the department of labor and industries or his authorized representative.

(2) Application shall be on forms furnished by the department of labor and industries and must be signed by the employer, an appropriate school official and the student learner. Such application shall, among other things, show: The nature of the training program; the total number of workers employed by the employer; the number and hourly wage rate of experienced workers employed in the occupation in which the student learner is to be trained; the hourly wage rate or progressive wage schedule which the employer proposes to pay the student learner; the age of the student learner; the period of employment training at subminimum wages; the number of hours of employment training a week; the number of hours of school instruction a week.