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News Release

US Department of Labor awards $80.3M in grants to provide at-risk youth in 35 states a second chance at education, career training

YouthBuild program provides community-based alternative education

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today the award of $80.3 million in YouthBuild grants to non-profit organizations in 35 states to help young people struggling to reach key educational and career milestones and to equip themselves to be successful in the workforce and engaged in their communities.

YouthBuild is a community-based, alternative education program that provides job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth, ages 16-24. The grants announced today range from approximately $700,000 to $1.1 million each and will fund 77 YouthBuild programs.

Antwain Nelson (right) earned an education and job training in a local Youthbuild program in the nation’s capital. Now he builds affordable homes in low-income communities.
Antwain Nelson (right) earned an education and
job training in a local Youthbuild program in the
nation’s capital. Now he builds affordable homes in
low-income communities.

“All young people are gifted and talented, and it is everyone’s responsibility to help draw out those gifts and talents,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said. “YouthBuild provides young people with an important opportunity to gain the education and skills they need for good-paying jobs, while also helping them become more engaged members of their communities. That can mean everything to a young person who didn’t get the easiest start in life.”

The grants announced today will help approximately 5,000 at-risk youth complete high school or state equivalency degree programs; earn industry-recognized certifications within in-demand occupations; and gain construction skills training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities.

To ensure that the nation’s most disadvantaged communities have access to funding – for the first time in the program’s history – priority consideration was given to organizations serving localities designated as Promise Zones. The department is awarding grants today to eight organizations specifically targeting seven Promise Zones: Camden, New Jersey; El Paso and San Antonio, Texas; Hartford, Connecticut; two communities within Los Angeles; San Diego; and St. Paul, Minnesota.

YouthBuild’s mission aligns closely with the goals of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which seeks to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color, and ensure that all young people can realize their full potential.

A list of this year’s YouthBuild funding participants follows this release.

Grant Recipient

City

State

Amount

Pickens County Community Action Committee and Development

Carrollton

Ala.

$1,100,000

Friendly House, Inc.

Phoenix

Ariz.

$911,494

Little Rock Workforce Development Board

Little Rock

Ark.

$900,000

Able-Disabled Advocacy, Inc.

San Diego

Calif.

$1,100,000

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.

Los Angeles

Calif.

$1,100,000

Coalition for Responsible Community Development

Los Angeles

Calif.

$1,100,000

Foundation for Second Chances

Los Angeles

Calif.

$1,100,000

Heartland Coalition

Lakeside

Calif.

$1,100,000

Venice Community Housing Corporation

Venice

Calif.

$1,100,000

Capital Workforce Partners

Hartford

Conn.

$1,099,680

Community Renewal Team, Inc.

Hartford

Conn.

$1,099,997

EMERGE Connecticut, Inc.

New Haven

Conn.

$960,976

The WorkPlace

Bridgeport

Conn.

$1,098,026

Florida Institute for Workforce Innovation

Gainesville

Fla.

$1,100,000

Greater Miami Service Corps

Miami

Fla.

$1,100,000

Housing Authority of the City of Lakeland

Lakeland

Fla.

$990,024

Valencia College-Osceola Campus

Kissimmee

Fla.

$1,093,940

WorkNet Pinellas, Inc. (dba CareerSource Pinellas)

Clearwater

Fla.

$1,100,000

CHRIS Kids

Atlanta

Ga.

$960,495

City of Atlanta

Atlanta

Ga.

$1,100,000

City of Savannah

Savannah

Ga.

$936,000

Future Seekers Incorporated

East Point

Ga.

$989,284

Homework Hangout Club, Inc.

Decatur

Ill.

$1,100,000

Metropolitan Family Services

Chicago

Ill.

$1,059,339

United Methodist Children`s Home

Mt. Vernon

Ill.

$1,100,000

Northshore Technical Community College

Bogalusa

La.

$921,893

Southern University at Shreveport

Shreveport

La.

$989,579

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England

Portland

Maine

$1,066,519

Civic Works, Inc.

Baltimore

Md.

$1,100,000

Just-A-Start Corporation

Cambridge

Mass.

$1,100,000

North Shore Community Development Coalition

Salem

Mass.

$1,100,000

Old Colony YMCA

Brockton

Mass.

$1,100,000

Training Resources of America, Inc.

Worcester

Mass.

$986,585

Metro Community Development, Inc.

Flint

Mich.

$1,100,000

Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services

St. Paul

Minn.

$1,050,000

Goodwill Industries, Inc. (dba Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota)

Saint Paul

Minn.

$707,514

CLIMB Community Development Corporation

Gulfport

Miss.

$1,098,940

Housing Authority of Kansas City Missouri

Kansas City

Mo.

$1,100,000

Job Point

Columbia

Mo.

$1,100,000

Housing Authority of the City of Camden

Camden

N.J.

$1,100,000

Isles, Inc.

Trenton

N.J.

$866,709

New Jersey Community Development Corporation

Paterson

N.J.

$1,100,000

Capacity Builders, Inc.

Farmington

N.M.

$1,099,978

HELP-New Mexico, Inc.

Albuquerque

N.M.

$1,021,800

Commission on Economic Opportunity for the Greater Capital Region

Troy

N.Y.

$972,000

South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation

Bronx

N.Y.

$1,100,000

The Crenulated Company Ltd. (dba New Settlement Apartments)

New York

N.Y.

$1,100,000

United Way of Long Island, Inc.

Deer Park

N.Y.

$1,100,000

Workforce Development Board - Oneida County

Utica

N.Y.

$1,089,807

Youth Action Program and Homes, Inc.

New York

N.Y.

 $1,100,000  

Goodwill Industries, Inc.-Omaha

Omaha

Neb.

$1,004,800

The Children`s Cabinet, Inc.

Reno

Nev.

$1,080,000

Telamon Corporation

Raleigh

N.C.

$1,100,000

Triangle Literacy Council

Raleigh

N.C.

$821,301

Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency

Cincinnati

Ohio

$1,096,704

County Corp

Dayton

Ohio

$1,100,000

Project REBUILD  Inc.

Canton

Ohio

$957,754

Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority

Warren

Ohio

$1,072,500

Community Development Support Association, Inc.

Enid

Okla.

$933,829

Heart of Oregon Corps, Inc.

Bend

Ore.

$1,100,000

Crispus Attucks Association of York Pennsylvania

York

Pa.

$1,100,000

Garfield Jubilee Association, Inc.

Pittsburgh

Pa.

$1,077,345

Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc.

Johnstown

Pa.

$720,000

Benedict-Allen Community Development Corporation

Columbia

S.C.

$1,067,997

Knoxville Leadership Foundation

Knoxville

Tenn.

$1,100,000

American YouthWorks

Austin

Texas

$1,099,969

George Gervin Youth Center, Inc.

San Antonio

Texas

$1,100,000

Workforce Solutions Borderplex, Inc.

El Paso

Texas

$609,928

Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College

Ogden

Utah

$1,100,000

Pathways-VA Inc.

Petersburg

Va.

$1,100,000

ReSOURCE A Nonprofit Community Enterprise Inc.

Burlington

Vt.

$900,000

Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington

Yakima

Wash.

$1,100,000

Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic

Toppenish

Wash.

$1,098,944

Randolph County Housing Authority

Elkins

W.Va.

$1,091,330

Community Action, Inc. of Rock and Walworth Counties

Beloit

Wis.

$1,100,000

Employ Milwaukee, Inc.

Milwaukee

Wis.

$1,100,000

Western Technical College

La Crosse

Wis.

$1,004,320

Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
September 22, 2016
Release Number
16-1904-NAT