ALBANY Schumer proposes bill to help jobless black men BY JILL BRYCE Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Jill Bryce at 432-4391 or jbryce@dailygazette.net.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer on Tuesday issued a call to action to local leaders to address black unemployment and said the problem is at a “crisis level” in the Capital Region, where one of three black men are out of work. Speaking to an audience of about 200 people at the North Albany YMCA, he discussed his proposed legislation to improve job training efforts for young black men and bring new tax credits to them. On the federal level, there has been no comprehensive public policy to address this group’s jobless rate, he said. “We have allowed the problems of black men to worsen unabated.” National trends of joblessness among young black men are mirrored right here in the Capital Region, according to Schumer. In Albany County, only 66 percent of the adult black male population is working, said Schumer. This means one out of three is not. Numbers in Rensselaer and Schenectady counties are almost identical, he added. The state Department of Labor could not verify the figures Tuesday. Schumer, D-N.Y., said he’s spent the last year drafting federal legislation in response to this crisis and now is the time to strike because of the huge loss to the work force that will result as baby boomers retire. It would open up many jobs in health care that do not require a college degree, he said. One job training program he will recommend for use on a national level is called the STRIVE (Support and Training Result in Valuable Employees) approach, founded in 1985 in Harlem. He said an estimated 70 percent of its graduates retain their jobs after two years. He visited STRIVE offices in Washington, D.C., and said the core program begins with “soft skills,” including how to dress for work, interact with a boss and accept criticism. For a month, the clients attend an attitudinal workshop that simulates the workplace. They have to wear a shirt and tie and cannot be late. There is a two-year intense follow-up, and STRIVE partners with employers and community colleges to offer additional training to continue these soft skills while the “clients” learn actual job skills. Schumer invited Schenectady Mayor Brian U. Stratton and Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings to establish a federally funded STRIVE program in Schenectady and Albany. With 22 locations nationwide, he said it’s easy to replicate and he wants to make it a federal program that will help young black men across the country secure and keep jobs. One woman in the audience said a similar job training program already exists in the Capital Region, but a major hurdle for young black males is re-entry into the work force after incarceration. Most men who had participated in STRIVE were incarcerated, yet it has a 70 percent success rate, said Schumer. A third point of his proposal is to expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit so it’s not only an employer credit. Once a worker has reached 1,500 hours on the job, the employer and employee would get $500 credit.
We have been educating young black men for over 30 years. At what point will there be a cut off? And senders is correct, where are the educators from the black community?
I don't care if you are black, white, purple or pink, if you want to learn and you have the opportunity to learn, you will. And there is much opportunity available for everyone. Throwing more money at it is not the solution.
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