Jobs, On-the-Job Earn-While-You-Learn Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African-Americans Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 5748 To rebuild the Nation’s crumbling infrastructure, transportation systems, technology and computer networks, and energy distribution systems, by strongly and urgently encouraging the immediate recruitment, employ- ment, and on-the-job ‘‘earn as you learn’’ training of young African Americans who throughout history experience higher unemployment rates than any other race, which is a national crisis. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 3, 2020 Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Ms. FUDGE, and Mr. CLEAVER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To rebuild the Nation’s crumbling infrastructure, transpor- tation systems, technology and computer networks, and energy distribution systems, by strongly and urgently encouraging the immediate recruitment, employment, and on-the-job ‘‘earn as you learn’’ training of young African Americans who throughout history experience higher un- employment rates than any other race, which is a na- tional crisis. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5748.IH H5748 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 5748 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jobs, On-the-Job 2 ‘Earn-While-You-Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships 3 for Young African-Americans Act’’. 4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 6 (1) Young African-American men and women 7 are the hardest hit by economic instability. Declared 8 and affirmed by the Federal Reserve, African Ameri- 9 cans face unemployment rates that are two to three 10 times higher than their White counterparts for the 11 last several decades. 12 (2) During economic recessions in 1974–75, 13 1981–82, 1990–91, and 2008, the African-American 14 community faced significantly higher unemployment 15 rates than their White counterparts. 16 (3) Even during times of economic growth, Af- 17 rican-American communities experience prolonged fi- 18 nancial vulnerability and delayed recovery. Unem- 19 ployment rates decline at a slower rate for African- 20 American men, and even a slower rate for African- 21 American women as compared to their White coun- 22 terparts. 23 (4) This extraordinarily high unemployment 24 rate has a terrible rippling impact on the breakdown 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5748.IH H5748 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 5748 IH of the family structure, as men and women in this 1 age group are in the primary child-producing ages. 2 (5) Affirmed by the Department of Labor, di- 3 versity and inclusion within the workforce benefits 4 employees and businesses across all industries, in- 5 cluding apprenticeship programs, which provide eco- 6 nomic mobility to its participants. 7 (6) Through the combined efforts of building 8 trades unions and community partners at the State 9 and local level, there have been established more 10 than 150 apprenticeship readiness programs across 11 the United States that focus on creating pathways 12 to Registered Programs for people of color, women, 13 and veterans. Overall, from 2009 to 2019, building 14 trades unions and their signatory contractors have 15 invested over $100,000,000 in outreach efforts tar- 16 geting under-represented communities to participate 17 in apprenticeship readiness programs. Of the 4,800 18 individuals who have successfully completed a build- 19 ing trades apprenticeship readiness program since 20 2016, 70 percent were from communities of color 21 and 22 percent were women. 22 (7) The disproportionately high-unemployment 23 rates, combined with low participation rates from 24 African Americans in registered apprenticeship pro- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5748.IH H5748 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 5748 IH grams not only constitute a national crisis but a na- 1 tional tragedy for the young African Americans, 2 many of whom are fathers and mothers who, without 3 jobs, are unable to provide for their families or 4 home. 5 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to secure 6 jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships for young 7 African Americans ages 18 to 39 with the labor unions, 8 general contractors, and businesses who will rebuild the 9 Nation’s crumbling infrastructure in cities and commu- 10 nities throughout the Nation. 11 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 12 It is the sense of Congress that— 13 (1) this Act, while rebuilding the crumbling in- 14 frastructure of this great Nation, will simultaneously 15 help create good paying jobs and job training that 16 will provide young African Americans ages 18 to 39 17 with the technical skills, computer capabilities, and 18 other skills necessary in this high technology-driven 19 job market, thus providing young African Americans 20 with highly developed skills that will make them very 21 competitive and attractive to many employers; 22 (2) this Act greatly exemplifies and strengthens 23 the high nobility of purpose that is the founding 24 grace of this great Nation; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5748.IH H5748 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 5748 IH (3) the African-American organizations de- 1 scribed in section 4(c) have a long and rich history 2 of working to improve the lives of African Ameri- 3 cans, and can be very helpful in successfully reach- 4 ing, contacting, and recruiting unemployed young 5 African Americans. 6 SEC. 4. URGING EMPLOYMENT, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, AND 7 APPRENTICESHIPS FOR UNEMPLOYED 8 YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICANS IN REBUILDING 9 THE NATION’S CRUMBLING INFRASTRUC- 10 TURE. 11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor shall 12 strongly and urgently encourage those labor unions, gen- 13 eral contractors, and businesses, who will rebuild the Na- 14 tion’s crumbling infrastructure, transportation systems, 15 technology and computer networks, and energy distribu- 16 tion systems, to actively recruit, hire, train, and provide 17 apprentice programs registered under the National Ap- 18 prenticeship Act (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) to African Ameri- 19 cans ages 18 to 39 through their existing jobs and through 20 apprenticeships and earn-while-you-learn programs, reg- 21 istered under such Act. The Secretary shall provide assist- 22 ance to such labor unions, general contractors, and busi- 23 nesses through every means available under existing law 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5748.IH H5748 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 5748 IH to help coordinate the recruitment of such individuals for 1 such jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships. 2 (b) COORDINATION.—The jobs, on-the-job training, 3 and apprenticeships made available by labor unions, gen- 4 eral contractors, and businesses described in subsection 5 (a) shall be conducted in conjunction with the Secretary 6 of Labor and the labor unions and other associations 7 which the Secretary has identified as those primarily in- 8 volved in the infrastructure rebuilding described in such 9 subsection. Such coordination shall also be done in con- 10 junction with the National Joint Apprenticeship and 11 Training Committee. 12 (c) RECRUITMENT.—The Secretary shall coordinate 13 with labor unions, general contractors, and businesses de- 14 scribed in subsections (a) and (b) to recruit African Amer- 15 icans for the jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships 16 described in subsection (a) by reaching out and seeking 17 assistance from within the African-American community, 18 churches, and civil rights organizations that can offer val- 19 uable assistance to the Secretary of Labor, the labor 20 unions, general contractors, and businesses with identi- 21 fying, locating, and contacting unemployed young African 22 Americans who want jobs, on-the-job training, and ap- 23 prenticeships. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H5748.IH H5748 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS