DOL funding helps opportunity youth reach key educational and career milestones to become successful in the workplace and become leaders in their communities. All local nonprofit and public entities are eligible to apply for the DOL YouthBuild grant.
YouthBuild USA is the technical assistance provider for the Department of Labor YouthBuild grant and provides actively funded grantees with comprehensive support to successfully implement the YouthBuild program.
YouthBuild USA does not directly run any local programs nor does it participate in the selection of DOL YouthBuild grantees.
YouthBuild was first authorized as a federal program in 1992 under Subtitle D of Title IV of the Cranston-Gonzalez national Affordable Housing Act and administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It was then transferred to the U.S. Department of Labor in 2006 and was reauthorized within the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) passed in 2014. WIOA designated YouthBuild as a pre-apprenticeship program model.
YouthBuild USA programs are encouraged to develop occupational skills training in other in-demand industries in addition to construction skills training. This expansion into additional in-demand industries is referred to as the Construction Plus component and is a focus of the current administration.
The Construction Plus model allows YouthBuild grantees to use DOL grant funds for training in additional in-demand industries to attain industry-recognized certifications, hands-on work experience in the industry setting, and direct entry into apprenticeships or direct hiring into these industries. Since Construction Plus began in 2012, YouthBuild grantees have used DOL funds to provide training in diverse industries and occupations, including healthcare, information technology, hospitality, and retail services.
