Student Leaders Endorse Measures to Invest in Strong Job Growth

Last week, the USSA Board of Directors, made up entirely of college student leaders, voted to endorse a series of principles it wishes to see in upcoming legislation designed to spur job growth.  There are a number of job bills in Congress.  USSA will be advocating for the above principles to be included in whichever jobs bill is ultimately advanced.  The principles are:

• Funding exclusively for new youth employment.
  
• Job training for community based organizations.
  
•  Long-term comprehensive youth employment solutions.
  
• Prevention of massive education job loss resulting from state budget cuts.
  

 "Today's young people face mountains of student loan debt along with an unemployment rate more than a third higher than the national average,” said USSA Community and Labor Liaison Kortney McBride, a student at the University of California, Berkeley.  “If Congress is serious about strengthening the future sustainability of our nation's economy, it must include investments in the prosperity of the nation's youth." 

The nation's unemployment crisis has had a crippling impact on young people and people of color, requiring USSA, as a national force for youth and traditionally underrepresented communities, to take a stand on strong jobs legislation.  For instance, adults with a high school diploma have more than twice the unemployment rate (10.8 percent) of adults with a bachelor's degree (4.7 percent).  This demonstrates the important connection between receiving a college degree and gaining employment. 

USSA will be advocating for strong jobs legislation on behalf of the nation’s college students, particularly those in traditionally underrepresented communities who are disproportionately affected by unemployment.  The ability to secure gainful employment is one of the main reasons why USSA fights for education as a right, not a privilege.