For the second consecutive month, the U.S. unemployment rate has remained essentially unchanged at 5.5 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But as usual, the rate for African Americans remains high—nearly double the national rate at 10.2 percent, up from 9.6 percent in April.
Black teens ages 16 to 19 years continue to experience the highest unemployment rate of all groups, 30.1 percent in May, up from 27.5 percent in April.
Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan youth advocacy organization, noted in its May Millennial Jobs report the unemployment for Blacks 18-29 years old is 19.2 percent compared to 9.1 for the entire category nationally.
Recognizing that there are industries where African Americans are underrepresented, an effort is under way in Congress to push legislation that will facilitate educating and training more minorities and women for careers in the lucrative energy sector.
The effort is called the 21st Century Energy Workforce Development Job Initiative Act of 2014 (H.R.4526). Originally introduced in 2014 by Rep. Bobby Rush, (D-Ill.), the bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in the 2014 congressional session, but needs to be reintroduced in 2015 in order to see any action.
The legislation, which is said to enjoy strong bi-partisan support, focuses on increasing the number of skilled minorities to work in the energy sector and requires the secretaries of energy, education and labor to set up a comprehensive educational and training program to boost participation in employment, entrepreneurship and ownership opportunities.
The American Petroleum Institute released a study that shows Blacks represent about 8 percent of employees in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors and just 6 percent of management, business and financial jobs. Anticipated industry growth, retirements and job turnover indicate, according to API, that as many as 1.3 million new job opportunities through 2030 in the sector. The institute believes Blacks and Hispanics potentially could fill one-third of those positions.
In the clean energy segment of the industry, the research found that African Americans represented only 6 percent of the employment base compared to 19 percent for women and nearly 16 percent of Hispanics.
In solar, The Solar Foundation (TSF), an independent nonprofit solar research and education organization, noted in its fifth annual National Solar Jobs Census (http://TheSolarFoundation.org) that the U.S. solar industry employed 173,807 Americans in 2014, a figure that includes the addition of more than 31,000 solar jobs over the previous year, representing 21.8 percent growth in solar industry employment since November 2013. Solar employment grew nearly 20 times faster than the national average employment growth rate of 1.1 percent in the same period.
Training in the growing field of renewable energy is available at various places around the country. In Southern California, Los Angeles Trade Technical College offers a 26-28 unit certificate program for Solar PV Technician.
Most of California’s 112 community colleges offer some type of green tech classes. Those courses may include photovoltaic panel installation and repair, green construction practices and biotechnology courses leading to careers in agriculture, medicine and environmental forensics.
In Charlotte, N.C., the Urban League of the Central Carolinas offers a fiber optics broadband training program which includes solar panel installation.
