US Department of Labor awards $33M in grants to prepare justice-involved youth, young adults for workforce success

WASHINGTON – In communities around the country that have historically experienced disinvestment, leading to high rates of poverty and violent crime, young people with arrest or conviction records face difficulties in finding and keeping a good job. To help these youth and young adults, from ages 15 to 24, to succeed in the workforce and in their communities, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $33 million in Growth Opportunities grants to programs in 11 states.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the second round of grants will enable 13 organizations to help justice-involved young people develop leadership skills, offer mentorship and provide education, training and paid work experiences. The grants align with the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to advance public safety by preventing and reducing gun crime and other violent crime and smoothing the path to successful reentry to ensure underserved communities have the resources they need to provide the foundation and opportunities young people need to succeed. 

The grants benefit programs in Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas with approximately half of the funding benefiting first-time recipients of Reentry Employment Opportunities grants.

The Growth Opportunities grant program focuses on young people living amid poverty and violence in their communities, and supports programs that improve participants’ conflict resolution skills and self-perception, while investing in the education, employment and other stabilizing services needed to achieve long-term goals.

The latest round of funding follows a March 2022 announcement of $85 million in available funds. The department initially awarded $43.3 million in June 2022.  

For the second round of funding, ETA is interested in receiving additional applications from Intermediary Organizations as detailed in the Funding Opportunity Announcement to use approximately $12 million of remaining available funding. The FOA open period for receipt of applications from Intermediary Organizations is extended to March 10, 2023. Learn more about applying or complete an application.

A list of the grant recipients in the second round of Growth Opportunities grants follows this news release.