NEWS: Harder Unveils New Bipartisan Bill to Fix Youth Workforce Shortages at Valley Businesses
Majority of young workers struggle to get past low-wage jobs and difficulty affording expenses
VIDEO from the tour is available here
Local businesses want to hire locally but struggling to connect classrooms to careers
ACAMPO – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) toured a local small business winery with students and entrepreneurs and announced new legislation to fix youth workforce shortages by making it easier for small businesses to hire local students. The Apprenticeships for Small Businesses Act, introduced with Rep. Jen Kiggans (VA-02), better connects Valley classrooms to Valley businesses by creating a tax credit to unlock career opportunities and allow businesses to hire local students in career technical programs.
Valley students are struggling to get hired in the Valley:
- Young workers don’t have access to enough good-paying career opportunities – 64% earned low wages and 60% reported difficulty affording expenses in 2023.
- Due to workforce challenges, more than 10% of young adults in California were not in school, working, or looking for a job in recent years.
- Local businesses want to hire locally, but red tape and rising costs have made it increasingly difficult to expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
“Getting a job in the Valley shouldn’t be this difficult, especially for the next generation that is working so hard to build a life in our community,” said Rep. Harder. “This bill is simple – it turns local students into local hires, which unlocks amazing talent for our small businesses and opens up lifelong career success for our young adults. That’s what our parents, educators, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between desperately wants for our community.”
How the Apprenticeships for Small Businesses Act connects classrooms to careers:
- Tax Credit – Creates a new tax credit for small businesses to cover up to 50% or $10,000 of the employment of students aged 20 or younger.
- New Partnerships – Makes it easier for career technical programs at high schools or community colleges to work with local businesses to place students in their programs.
“There are nearly 1.5 million students enrolled in trade schools within the United States, but unfortunately many small businesses can’t afford to train and hire them,” said Rep. Kiggans. “That’s why I am proud to support the Apprenticeships for Small Businesses Act of 2025. This bill will incentivize small businesses to employ young people just starting out in their careers. We must support the next generation of our American workforce!”
The Apprenticeships for Small Businesses Act is endorsed by San Joaquin A+, a Valley nonprofit that helps local students find career opportunities at local businesses, and San Joaquin County Office of Education, a local agency providing resources and customized services to assist San Joaquin County school districts. Harder was joined by entrepreneurs, leadership from San Joaquin A+, and student alumni of the nonprofit’s internship program.
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