Department of Labor Awards $90 Million for High-Demand Career Training

• The Department of Labor awarded $90 million in grants for high-demand career training.
• The YouthBuild program trains people between the ages of 16 and 24 who aren't already in school or in the labor market for high-demand jobs in industries like construction.
• The program focuses on students who dropped out of high school and includes classroom instruction for them to earn their diploma or equivalency.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $90 million in grants to boost high-demand career training across the country for students who dropped out of high school, officials announced last week.

The YouthBuild grants, which range from $700,000-$1.5 million for individual institutions, will go toward training people between the ages of 16 and 24 who aren't already in school or in the labor market for high-demand jobs in industries like construction, according to a Department of Labor press release.

Students will earn their high school diploma or equivalency degree as part of the "pre-apprenticeship" program format, which aims to prepare them for other postsecondary opportunities, according to the release.

Organizations that received the grants — including several higher education institutions — will provide a mix of classroom instruction and workplace training, according to the release.

Community colleges that received a YouthBuild grant include:

• The University Arkansas' Cossatot Community College, which received $1,205,176
• Valencia College in Florida, which received $1.5 million
• Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa, which received $1,244,503
• Charles Stewart Mott Community College in Michigan, which received $1,499,865
• City University of New York-Manhattan Community College's Research Foundation, which received $1.5 million
• Central Carolina Community College in North Carolina, which received $1,499,996
• Ogden-Weber Technical College in Utah, which received $1,369,111

"The YouthBuild grants we're announcing today will strengthen the nation's workforce. 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," Department of Labor Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Brent Parton said in the release. "These investments will also help meet the demands of employers in high-demand industries as they seek to expand their workforces."

The YouthBuild program's construction focus has seen more than 1,400 housing units constructed or renovated since 2012, according to a fact sheet. In addition to community colleges, various other organizations like school districts, nonprofit organizations, and housing development agencies are eligible for the grants.