Jobs, On-the-Job ‘Earn-While-You-Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act
Bill: H.R.3445 | Sponsor: Rep. Scott, David (D-GA)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Jobs, On-the-Job 'Earn-While-You-Learn' Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act
This bill makes changes to the national apprenticeship system aimed at promoting diversity.
Specifically, the bill

To amend the National Apprenticeship Act in order to increase and 
  expand the national apprenticeship system to include the immediate 
 recruitment, employment, and on-the-job earn-as-you-learn training of 
 young African Americans, and to promote the development of equitable 
 hiring standards necessary to safeguard the diversity of apprentices, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Jobs, On-the-Job `Earn-While-You-
Learn' Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Young African-American men and women are the hardest 
        hit by economic instability. Declared and affirmed by the 
        Federal Reserve, African Americans face unemployment rates that 
        are two to three times higher than their White counterparts for 
        the last several decades.
            (2) During economic recessions in 1974 through 1975, 1981 
        through 1982, 1990 through 1991, and 2008, the African-American 
        community faced significantly higher unemployment rates than 
        their White counterparts.
            (3) Even during times of economic growth, African-American 
        communities experience prolonged financial vulnerability and 
        delayed recovery. Unemployment rates decline at a slower rate 
        for African-American men, and even a slower rate for African-
        American women as compared to their White counterparts.
            (4) Affirmed by the Department of Labor, diversity and 
        inclusion within the workforce benefits employees and 
        businesses across all industries, including apprenticeship 
        programs, which provide economic mobility to its participants.
            (5) Through the combined efforts of building trades unions 
        and community partners at the State and local level, there have 
        been established more than 150 apprenticeship readiness 
        programs across the United States that focus on creating 
        pathways to Registered Programs for people of color, women, and 
        veterans. Overall, from 2009 to 2019, building trades unions 
        and their signatory contractors have invested over $100,000,000 
        in outreach efforts targeting under-represented communities to 
        participate in apprenticeship readiness programs. Of the 4,800 
        individuals who have successfully completed a building trades 
        apprenticeship readiness program since 2016, 70 percent were 
        from communities of color and 22 percent were women.
            (6) The disproportionately high-unemployment rates, 
        combined with low participation rates from African Americans in 
        registered apprenticeship programs not only constitute a 
        national crisis but a national tragedy for the young African 
        Americans, many of whom are fathers and mothers who, without 
        jobs, are unable to provide for their families or home.

SEC. 3. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ADMINISTRATOR.

    (a) In General.--There is established within the Office of 
Apprenticeship in the Office of Employment and Training Administration 
of the Department of Labor a position to be known as the ``Diversity 
and Inclusion Administrator''.
    (b) Responsibilities.--The Diversity and Inclusion Administrator 
shall--
            (1) promote greater diversity, including an increase in the 
        participation of individuals who are African-American, 
        Hispanic, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or Native 
        American in the national apprenticeship system;
            (2) engage with institutions of higher education and other 
        education and training providers with secondary, postsecondary, 
        and adult education systems, including degree and credential 
        requirements;
            (3) employers from nontraditional apprenticeship industries 
        and occupations; and
            (4) assist State apprenticeship agencies and sponsors in 
        complying with the requirements of this Act.

SEC. 4. REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP APPLICATION.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship, 
acting through the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator, shall require 
each entity seeking to register an apprenticeship under the Act of 
August 16, 1937 (commonly referred to as the ``National Apprenticeship 
Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) to submit, as a 
part of the application to register such apprenticeship, a plan to 
increase participation of individuals who are African American.
    (b) Renewal of Registration.--A registered apprenticeship program 
seeking renewal of such registration under the Act of August 16, 1937 
(commonly referred to as the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 
664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) shall include in the 
application for such registration a plan described in subsection (a).

SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--The Diversity and Inclusion Administrator, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Education as appropriate, shall 
award grants on a competitive basis to eligible registered entities to 
create or expand diversity in registered apprenticeship programs.
    (b) Target Programs.--In issuing grants under subsection (a), the 
Diversity and Inclusion Administrator shall target registered 
apprenticeship programs in traditional and nontraditional 
apprenticeship industries or occupations, such as for programs 
demonstrating demand in construction, welding, electrical engineering, 
plumbing, information technology, energy, green jobs, advanced 
manufacturing, health care, or cybersecurity.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A grantee under this section may use funds--
            (1) to establish or expand partnerships with organizations 
        that provide African-American participants and other 
        nontraditional program participants access to financial 
        planning, mentoring, and supportive services that are necessary 
        to enable an individual to participate in and complete a 
        program under the national apprenticeship system;
            (2) to conduct outreach and recruitment activities, 
        including assessments of potential African-American 
        participants and other nontraditional participants for, and 
        enrollment of such participants in, a program under the 
        national apprenticeship system;
            (3) to conduct outreach, engagement, recruitment, and 
        coordination of activities, for the purpose of establishing 
        industry or sector partnerships and opportunities under the 
        national apprenticeship system, with--
                    (A) employers;
                    (B) industry associations;
                    (C) labor and labor-management organizations;
                    (D) qualified intermediaries;
                    (E) education and training providers;
                    (F) State or local workforce agencies;
                    (G) potential sponsors;
                    (H) community-based organizations;
                    (I) communities with high numbers or percentages of 
                individuals who are African American and other 
                individuals from populations that the Secretary 
                determines to be nontraditional apprenticeship 
                populations;
                    (J) small- and medium-sized businesses; or
                    (K) rural communities;
            (4) to carry out grant requirements, including program 
        evaluation and reporting requirements; and
            (5) to conduct any activities as described in the 
        application that would advance the purposes of the grant.
    (d) Grant Recipient Report.--Each recipient of a grant under this 
section shall--
            (1) submit to the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator a 
        report at the conclusion of the grant period, which shall 
        include--
                    (A) a description of how the funds received through 
                the grant were used to increase the participation of 
                individuals who are African American, Hispanic, Asian 
                American or Pacific Islander, or Native American in the 
                program;
                    (B) the total number of active program 
                participants;
                    (C) the total number that obtained unsubsidized 
                employment in a field related to the apprenticeable 
                occupation;
                    (D) the total number of program participants that 
                completed the program in which they were enrolled;
                    (E) the average time to completion for each 
                program;
                    (F) the average cost per participant during the 
                most recent program year; and
                    (G) the percentage of participants who received 
                additional support services; and
            (2) submit each report under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) to the registration agency; and
                    (B) to the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator.
    (e) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
entity'' means--
            (1) a program sponsor;
            (2) a State workforce development board or State workforce 
        agency, or a local workforce development board or local 
        workforce development agency;
            (3) an education and training provider, or a consortium 
        thereof;
            (4) if the applicant is in a State with a State 
        apprenticeship agency, such State apprenticeship agency;
            (5) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization;
            (6) an industry or sector partnership, a group of 
        employers, a trade association, or a professional association 
        that sponsors or participates in a program under the national 
        apprenticeship system;
            (7) a Governor of a State;
            (8) a labor organization or joint-labor management 
        organization;
            (9) a community organization working in partnership with 
        one or more registered apprenticeship programs; or
            (10) a qualified intermediary.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following:
            (1) Education and training provider.--The term ``education 
        and training provider'' means--
                    (A) an area career and technical education school;
                    (B) an early college high school;
                    (C) an educational service agency;
                    (D) a high school;
                    (E) a local educational agency or State educational 
                agency;
                    (F) a Tribal educational agency, Tribally 
                controlled college or university, or Tribally 
                controlled postsecondary career and technical 
                institution;
                    (G) a postsecondary educational institution;
                    (H) a minority-serving institution;
                    (I) a provider of adult education and literacy 
                activities under the Adult Education and Family 
                Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 3271 et seq.);
                    (J) a local agency administering plans under title 
                I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et 
                seq.), other than section 112 or part C of that title 
                (29 U.S.C. 732, 741);
                    (K) a related instruction provider, including a 
                qualified intermediary acting as a related instruction 
                provider as approved by a registration agency;
                    (L) a Job Corps center (as defined in section 142 
                of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
                U.S.C. 3192)); or
                    (M) a consortium of entities described in any of 
                subparagraphs (A) through (L).
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (3) National apprenticeship system.--The term ``national 
        apprenticeship system'' means the apprenticeship programs, 
        youth apprenticeship programs, and pre-apprenticeship programs 
        under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly referred to as the 
        ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 
        U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
            (4) Nontraditional apprenticeship population.--The term 
        ``nontraditional apprenticeship population'' means a group of 
        individuals (such as individuals from the same gender, race, or 
        ethnicity), the members of which comprise fewer than 25 percent 
        of the program participants in an apprenticeable occupation 
        under the national apprenticeship system.
            (5) Nontraditional apprenticeship industry or occupation.--
        The term ``nontraditional apprenticeship industry or 
        occupation'' refers to an industry sector or occupation that 
        represents fewer than 10 percent of apprenticeable occupations 
        or the programs under the national apprenticeship system.
            (6) Registered apprenticeship program.--The term 
        ``registered apprenticeship program'' means an apprenticeship 
        program registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly 
        referred to as the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 
        664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
            (7) Registration agency.--The term ``registration agency'' 
        means the State Office of Apprenticeship or State 
        apprenticeship agency in a State that is responsible for--
                    (A) approving or denying applications from sponsors 
                for registration of programs under the national 
                apprenticeship system in the State or area covered by 
                the registration agency; and
                    (B) carrying out the responsibilities of supporting 
                the youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or 
                apprenticeship programs registered by the registration 
                agency.
            (8) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
        Act (29 U.S.C. 3102) and includes each of the outlying areas.

SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect beginning on April 22, 2022.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Labor 
to carry out this Act--
            (1) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
            (2) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
            (3) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and
            (4) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.
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