YouthBuild Grants

Alexander Heron
YB_FOA-ETA-24-53@dol.gov

YouthBuild Grants provide funding to organizations offering pre-apprenticeship services that support education, occupational skills training, and employment services for at-risk youth, ages 16 to 24, while performing meaningful work and service to their communities. Training includes affordable housing construction skills and other in-demand industries, such as healthcare, information technology, hospitality, culinary, retail services, and logistics.

Pre-apprenticeship includes:

• Training and curriculum that aligns with the skill needs of employers in the economy of the state or region involved
• Access to educational and career counseling and other supportive services, directly or indirectly
• Hands-on, meaningful learning activities that are connected to education and training activities, such as exploring career options, and understanding how the skills acquired through coursework can be applied toward a future career
• Opportunities to attain at least one industry-recognized credential
• A partnership with one or more registered apprenticeship programs that assists in placing individuals who complete the pre-apprenticeship program

The YouthBuild program model contains wrap-around services such as mentoring, trauma-informed care, personal counseling, transportation support, and employment.

Eligible applicants are private nonprofit and public agencies, including, but not limited to:

• Community and faith-based organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit status
• Entities carrying out activities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
• Labor unions, labor-management partnerships, a central labor council, other labor council, state conference of a union, or state labor federation, or worker centers
• Educational institutions, including local school boards, public school districts, and community colleges
• Community action agencies
• State and local housing development agencies
• Any Native American entities eligible for grants under Section 166 of WIOA, including federally and other than federally-recognized tribes, Native American nonprofit organizations, and Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native organizations;
• Community development corporations
• State and local youth service conservation corps
• Any other public or private nonprofit entity that is eligible to provide education or employment training under a federal program and can meet the required elements of the grant

Applications from rural, urban, and Native American organizations are encouraged.

Award ceiling: $1,500,000
Award floor: $700,000
Project period: 40 months
Estimated number of awards: 75
Estimated total program funding: $99,000,000

Applicants must have non-federal matching funds equal to 25% of the total federal share of costs. Match may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions.

Links to the full announcement and online application process are available through grants.gov. The application instructions will be found on the related documents tab.