Scott, DeLauro Call on Scalia to Support Extension of Contracts for Equity Intermediaries, the National Urban League and the Chicago Women in Trades
In their letter to Scalia: “At a time when leadership is needed to unite the country and provide economic opportunities for individuals underrepresented in apprenticeship programs, including women and people of color, the Department should take the important step of continuing the Equity in Apprenticeship intermediary contracts.”
WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Education and Labor Committee, and Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, sent a letter to Department of Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia in support of the renewal of the Department’s Equity in Apprenticeship contracts for equity intermediaries, the National Urban League (NUL) and the Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT). These contracts are necessary to effectively promote diversity and inclusion initiatives for underrepresented populations in the Registered Apprenticeship (RA) system.
In their letter the Members wrote, “With a current unemployment rate hovering just below 10 percent, and women and people of color being disproportionately impacted by the economic downturn, now is not the time for the Administration to allow the work of equity intermediaries to sunset. For this reason, the House-passed Fiscal Year 2021 Labor-HHS appropriations bill and the accompanying report (House Report 116-450) directed the Department to continue funding for equity intermediaries.”
The Members expressed concern with the Department’s April notice seeking proposals for new contracts for “industry intermediaries” for RAs. The application for these new contracts only requires the entity to identify two underrepresented groups they will target for participation.
“A failure to continue these contracts would undermine the Department’s efforts to effectuate the civil rights protections provided by the EEO regulations,” the Members continued. “At a time when leadership is needed to unite the country and provide economic opportunities for individuals underrepresented in apprenticeship programs, including women and people of color, the Department should take the important step of continuing the Equity in Apprenticeship intermediary contracts.”
To read the full text of the letter, click here.
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