Goodwill Omaha Receives Grant for YouthBuild Americorps Program

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) YouthBuild program has a network of more than 200 urban and rural YouthBuild programs in 46 states. On January 31, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that $85 million in grants have been awarded to 81 YouthBuild programs in 32 states. The grants range from approximately $700,000 to $1.1 million. DOL informed Goodwill Omaha that its YouthBuild AmeriCorps (www.goodwillomaha.org/services/youthbuild) was awarded $895,437 to fund the program for two years in 2019 and 2020.

YouthBuild is an education and training program with a strong pre-apprenticeship component that helps at-risk youth complete high school or state equivalency degree programs. While doing so, participants earn industry-recognized credentials for in-demand occupations, and undergo training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities.

The grants awarded this year mark a significant expansion of YouthBuild’s Construction Plus model which allows grantees to offer training in locally in-demand industries beyond construction in fields such as healthcare, information technology, hospitality, and retail services, and logistics. To learn about the U.S Department of Labor YouthBuild program, please visit www.doleta.gov/youth_services/youthbuild.cfm.

Goodwill Omaha’s YouthBuild AmeriCorps program is a nine-month educational, leadership, development, and occupational skill-training program for disadvantaged young adults. Members include young adults from ages 16 to 24 who are underemployed and do not have a high school diploma. The Monday through Friday program runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with time split between classroom instruction and hands-on construction work. YouthBuild AmeriCorps is also a proud partner of the American Job Center network.

For more information, contact Norman Barnes, YouthBuild AmeriCorps manager, at (402) 522-7231 or nbarnes@goodwillomaha.org.