Sept. 4, 2012 — Morehead State University will receive $1,021,944 to continue its YouthBuild program.
MSU's award was among more than $75 million in national grants to be distributed by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The grants will help out-of-school youth earn a high school or GED diploma while learning occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology and other fields.
“YouthBuild offers young people the opportunity to earn academic and industry-recognized credentials, practice the skills they’ll need to succeed at work, and experience what it means to contribute to their own success and that of their communities,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis.
The grants range from $700,000 to $1.1 million and will fund 74 YouthBuild programs in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
They will help nearly 5,000 young people obtain the certifications and skills necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The Labor Department now actively funds 127 YouthBuild programs around the country.
YouthBuild grants are the first awarded under new program regulations published in February, which expand occupational skills training beyond construction to include fast-growing industries such as health care and information technology.
The construction skills training programs funded teach valuable skills to participants who build or rehabilitate housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities.
The non-construction skills training programs funded include leadership development and community service elements to ensure that youth maintain a connection to their communities through service and volunteerism.
YouthBuild is a nonresidential, community-based alternative education program that provides classroom instruction and occupational skills training to at-risk individuals aged 16 to 24.
Many participants have been in the juvenile justice system, are aging out of foster care, have dropped out of high school, or are otherwise at-risk of failing to reach key educational milestones and opportunities that lead to career fulfillment.
