COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Targeting youth unemployment, Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to propose tax credits to encourage businesses to train young people and offer apprenticeships to develop lifelong job skills.
Clinton’s campaign said she would outline a proposed tax credit of $1,500 for every apprentice that a business hires during a forum Wednesday at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, South Carolina. The state holds the first-in-the-South presidential primary.
The Democratic presidential candidate said last weekend she would begin outlining policy proposals during the summer, and the economic agenda item aims to connect with young workers and black young adults. The May unemployment rate for workers age 18 to 34 was 7.8 percent, more than 2 percentage points higher than the national average, while unemployment for young black adults was 14.6 percent.
Clinton was returning to South Carolina after making stops in Iowa and New Hampshire following her first campaign rally last weekend. Clinton was soundly defeated by Barack Obama in the 2008 South Carolina contest and the former secretary of state’s campaign has taken steps to build a strong primary organization in the state. She was also meeting with community leaders earlier in the day in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Clinton’s campaign said the proposal would build upon similar bipartisan efforts presented by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., along with Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Susan Collins, R-Maine. Clinton has said she hopes to present ideas that might attract GOP interest.