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Yesterday, Congressman David Scott introduced H.R. 5748, the Jobs, On-the-Job ‘Earn While You Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act of 2020. H.R. 5748 encourages the U.S. Department of Labor to work with African American organizations and labor unions to recruit and hire young African Americans in registered apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship programs offer hands-on career training, college credits toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, a national credential, and a pathway towards a high-earning career in various industries such as infrastructure. H.R. 5748 recognizes the economic mobility provided to participants of apprenticeship programs and moves African Americans to the forefront of the nation’s much needed infrastructure development.

“Apprenticeship programs provide significant economic opportunities to participants,” said Congressman Scott. “My bill ensures necessary collaboration between the Department of Labor, labor unions, and civil rights organizations so that young African American men and women have access to impactful apprenticeship programs. I am proud to work on strategies to advance the diversification of tomorrow’s workforce and ensure that African Americans are at the forefront of the modernization of our crumbling infrastructure.”

At all stages of the economic cycle, African American men and women experience harsher financial realities when compared against their white counterparts, but this is especially pronounced during recessions. The St. Louis Federal Reserve affirmed that African American men and women typically have unemployment rates two to three times higher than white men and women. While for generations, the African American community has experienced significant economic inequality, apprenticeship programs have the potential to narrow the achievement and economic gaps in both gender and race. Apprenticeships prepare participants across the nation with the necessary skills to thrive in multiple labor markets including construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, and even within the military.  However, according to data from the Department of Labor, African Americans are one of the lowest participating races in apprenticeship programs. H.R. 5748 aims to increase workforce opportunities for African Americans by increasing participation in apprenticeship programs.