Apprenticeship Programs "Gold Mine" for DC Workers

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Union apprenticeship programs in the District “are gold mines for both young people and adults” testified Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams Saturday. The 16 existing programs cover all trades and crafts in the construction industry, Williams told the Committee on Workforce Development and Government Operations at the May 5 Public Oversight Roundtable on “Strengthening Youth Employment Programs in the District.” Union construction apprenticeship programs can play a key role in helping District youth “build a family-sustaining career,” said Williams, who urged that labor “be part of the move to return quality career and technical education, especially in the building trades, to the public school system.” Click here to read the full testimony. 2006 Labor2Youth Career Fair, photo by Chris Garlock