“To reauthorize the YouthBuild program, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the YouthBuild program—under which the Department of Labor awards competitive grants to nonprofits and other entities to provide at-risk youth ages 16-24 with education, occupational skills training (primarily in construction), leadership development, and services to promote employment or postsecondary education—by (1) requiring the Secretary to reserve 20% of appropriated funds exceeding $125 million annually for grants to rural areas or programs benefiting Indians, Alaska Natives, or Native Hawaiians; (2) expanding allowable grant uses to include meals and food assistance, assistance applying for means-tested benefits such as SNAP and child care block grants, and supportive services for participants with disabilities, and permitting grant funds to satisfy matching requirements under the National and Community Service Act; (3) replacing terms such as "youth offender" with "youth justice-involved individual" and "basic skills deficient" with "foundational skill needs" in eligibility criteria; (4) requiring annual consultations with grantees to set performance levels and, to the extent practicable, consistent annual timing for funding opportunity announcements, and directing states to facilitate YouthBuild programs' access to participants' wage data without reducing privacy protections; and (5) authorizing appropriations of $159.5 million for FY2027, $167.5 million for FY2028, $175.9 million for FY2029, $184.7 million for FY2030, $193 million for FY2031, and $203.6 million for FY2032.
This section establishes a new grant program (section 171A of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) under which the Secretary of Labor awards grants to eligible consortia—consisting of a YouthBuild program entity (i.e., programs serving at-risk youth ages 16-24 through education, occupational skills training such as construction, and leadership development) and a public or private employer—to develop, implement, or expand employment and training opportunities aligned with local labor market needs. (Grant applications must describe a needs assessment of employer and participant needs, existing or proposed partnerships, planned uses of funds, and evaluation methods; priority goes to consortia partnering with joint labor-management apprenticeship programs.) It authorizes $20 million annually for this program for FY2027 through FY2032.