National Urban League Urges Restoration Of Summer Jobs Funding
NEW YORK -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial called on President Obama and Congress to restore funding for summer youth employment programs that the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday stripped yesterday from an appropriations bill.
“The Appropriations Committee has turned its back on America’s youth,” Morial said. “Summer jobs are the launch pad for success. They provide a foundation for a solid work ethic and invaluable experience that gives young people a clear advantage that lasts throughout their working life.”
Under the provision the committee dropped from the bill, the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration would receive $600 million under the Workforce Investment Act to support about 300,000 summer jobs for youth.
“The funds represent an investment in the future not only of the young people who would benefit, but for a strong, economically sound economy as a whole,” Morial said. “We cannot continue to sacrifice our future for short-term political gain.”
Morial said the provision must be restored when the bill goes before the full Senate.
Expansion of summer youth employment programs is one of the six points in the National Urban League’s Plan for Job Creation, which can be found at www.nul.org/content/nuls-6-point-plan-job-creation The League last week launched a new website, “The State of Urban Jobs,” which can be found at www.iamempowered.com
About the National Urban League:
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are more than 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.
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