The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $90 million grants to 68 organizations in 32 states to provide training and employment services.
The grants, announced April 28, will be awarded through the YouthBuild program to support pre-apprenticeships for individuals ages 16-24, according to a DOL news release. YouthBuild grants are administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.
“The YouthBuild grants we’re announcing today will strengthen the nation’s workforce," Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Brent Parton said in the release. "They will also make sure young people have access to the training and skills they need for good quality jobs, made possible by the historic investments by Biden-Harris’ administration to rebuild our nation. These investments will also help meet the demands of employers in high-demand industries as they seek to expand their workforces.”
The grants will range from $700,000 to $1.5 million each, the release said. These grants will support the pre-apprenticeships for individuals not enrolled in school or in the labor market for jobs in high-demand industries, such as construction.
YouthBuild grants, supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, help "disadvantaged young people with occupational skills training, employment services and educational guidance," the release reported. The grants emphasize green building techniques such as understanding sustainable building materials, solar panel installation, weatherization processes and the use of Energy Star appliances.
The YouthBuild program includes classroom instruction resulting in a high school diploma or equivalency degree and workplace training to help prepare for the future, according to the release.
"The grants will also enable young people to train for careers in healthcare, information technology, manufacturing and logistics, culinary arts and hospitality," the release reported.
The YouthBuild program has been added to the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities overburdened by pollution, the release reported.
