US Department of Labor announces availability of funds to help young adult former offenders get on right track through training and service learning

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $30 million in grants through its Training and Service Learning program for projects to help young adult ex-offenders gain valuable jobs skills while giving back to their communities through service.

"We are a country that believes in second chances," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The grant competition announced today will fund programs that give young people the chance to get their lives back on track by serving their communities and learning new skills."

Awarded through a competitive process, the grants will provide participants with meaningful community service projects and service learning opportunities, educational intervention to help them earn high school diplomas and industry recognized credentials, a career development component that seeks to place each participant in a job that also teaches skills, and post-program support and follow-up.

The department expects to award a minimum of 20 grants. Any nonprofit organization, unit of state or local government, and Indian or Native American entity eligible for grants under the Workforce Investment Act's Section 166 may apply.

Full eligibility information is included in a solicitation for grant applications published in today's Federal Register that can be viewed online at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm. Information about other Department of Labor employment and training programs also is available at http://www.doleta.gov.