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

Bill Number

H.R. 6725

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Labor and Employment

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-15: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Last Updated

2026-01-14T09:07:07Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This legislation amends the National Apprenticeship Act (a 1937 law that sets standards for apprenticeship programs) to expand access to apprenticeships—paid on-the-job training programs—for young African Americans. It aims to address high unemployment rates among African Americans by promoting diversity and inclusion in the national apprenticeship system, ensuring equitable hiring practices, and providing resources to support recruitment and training.

Key Provisions

• Establishment of Diversity and Inclusion Administrator: Creates a new position within the Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Apprenticeship to oversee efforts to increase participation of African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans in apprenticeships. The administrator will collaborate with educational institutions, employers in nontraditional fields (e.g., tech or healthcare), and state agencies to meet these goals.
• Diversity Plans for Apprenticeship Registration: Entities applying to register or renew an apprenticeship program must submit a plan detailing how they will boost African American participation. This applies to programs under the national apprenticeship system, which includes standard apprenticeships, youth programs, and pre-apprenticeships.
• Grant Program: Authorizes competitive grants to eligible entities (e.g., program sponsors, workforce boards, educational providers, labor organizations, community groups, or tribes) to promote diversity. Grants target industries like construction, IT, green jobs, manufacturing, healthcare, and cybersecurity. Funds can be used for:
• Partnerships offering financial planning, mentoring, and support services.
• Outreach, recruitment, and enrollment of underrepresented groups.
• Building industry partnerships with employers, unions, and community organizations.
• Program evaluation and reporting.

Grantees must report on outcomes, such as participant numbers, completion rates, employment placements, and costs.

• Definitions: Clarifies terms like "nontraditional apprenticeship population" (groups making up less than 25% of participants in an occupation) and "nontraditional apprenticeship industry or occupation" (sectors with fewer than 10% of all apprenticeships).
• Funding and Timeline: Authorizes $2 million for fiscal year 2026, increasing to $5 million by 2029. The Act takes effect on April 22, 2026.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces mandatory diversity plans in apprenticeship registration and renewal processes, which were not previously required under the National Apprenticeship Act.
• Adds a dedicated federal administrator role focused on racial and ethnic diversity, expanding DOL's oversight beyond general program standards.
• Establishes a new grant program specifically for diversity initiatives, building on but distinct from existing DOL apprenticeship funding, with targeted reporting on underrepresented groups' outcomes.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: The DOL will gain new administrative responsibilities and funding to manage the administrator role and grants, potentially increasing workload for state apprenticeship agencies in approving diverse programs. Collaboration with the Department of Education may enhance coordination on workforce training.
• Citizens: Young African Americans and other underrepresented groups could see improved access to paid training and jobs in high-demand fields, helping reduce unemployment disparities. Broader workforce diversity may benefit businesses through more inclusive talent pools.
• International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic workforce development.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Young African Americans and Other Underrepresented Groups: Primary beneficiaries through targeted recruitment, training, and support services.
• Apprenticeship Sponsors and Employers: Must develop and implement diversity plans; eligible for grants to expand programs in traditional (e.g., construction) and emerging (e.g., cybersecurity) sectors.
• Department of Labor and State Agencies: Responsible for oversight, grant administration, and compliance enforcement.
• Educational and Community Organizations: Including schools, workforce boards, labor unions, tribes, and nonprofits, which can partner for outreach and receive grants.
• Businesses and Industries: Particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises and those in nontraditional occupations, encouraged to hire diversely for economic and innovation benefits.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens federal requirements for equal opportunity in apprenticeships under existing civil rights laws (e.g., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act), but mandates race-specific plans that could invite challenges if seen as preferential treatment. Grantees' reporting emphasizes measurable diversity outcomes, potentially aiding enforcement of nondiscrimination rules.
• Constitutional: Race-conscious measures to address historical disparities may raise equal protection concerns under the 14th Amendment, similar to debates in affirmative action cases; courts could scrutinize whether they meet "strict scrutiny" standards for remedying proven discrimination.
• Political: Highlights economic inequities faced by African Americans, supported by a bipartisan group of cosponsors but focused on racial justice. It could influence broader workforce policy debates, emphasizing investments in underrepresented communities amid ongoing discussions on equity and labor shortages.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Scott, David [D-GA-13]

Cosponsors (41)

Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3], Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7], Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14], Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4], Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11], Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-15: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
• 2025-12-15: Introduced in House
• 2025-12-15: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Jobs, On-the-Job Earn-While-You-Learn Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African-Americans Act — issued 2025-12-15 — PDF (13 pages)