DC Youth and Young Adult Update 7-12-2024

 

News at NYEC:  

• NYEC’s Youth Days Will Take Place September 11-13. We invite practitioners, community and organization leaders, and young people to join us in Washington, DC to advocate for Opportunity Youth at the federal level! This year’s event features a dynamic mix of virtual preparation and in-person interaction in Washington, DC. The virtual advocacy training sessions begin in August, so reserve your spot now! If you are new to policy and advocacy or a skilled advocate, you want to join us! We have a limited number of slots, so please register soon! More details, including virtual preparation session descriptions and dates and a detailed agenda for the in-person event, can be found in the hyperlinked title! 

• NYEC Releases Statement on the House Appropriations Committee’s LHHS Bill, Encourages Members to Educate Their Representatives: On July 10, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill, which includes many federal programs of importance to NYEC. If enacted, the bill would significantly cut or eliminate crucial federal programs that support opportunity youth. The bill proposes to eliminate WIOA Youth funding and cut Apprenticeship and the Reentry Employment Opportunities program by nearly 50 percent. Now is the time to contact your members of Congress to share why it’s crucial to robustly invest in programs that support opportunity youth. You can find an email/call template here. If you need contact information for your members of Congress, you can either directly call their DC office or email nathan.hora@nyec.org.  

• NYEC Submits Comments to the Senate HELP Committee on its WIOA Discussion Draft: In response to the Committee’s discussion draft that NYEC shared last week, NYEC provided comments to strengthen the Senate’s proposal. The Committee hopes to markup the bill (advancing the bill out of Committee to the Senate floor) before August. As a reminder, the House passed a WIOA reauthorization bill earlier this year called A Stronger Workforce for America Act. Should the Senate pass a WIOA reauthorization bill, there is a chance that both chambers would meet to finalize a bill that could then be signed by the President.  

• Recruit Your Representative to the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus! We are calling on NYEC members to recruit your Representative to the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus (BOYC)! NYEC staff continue to meet with key Congressional offices to ask that they join the BOYC, which will promote research and policies to support young people ages 16-24 who face barriers to employment or education and are at-risk of experiencing disconnection – also referred to as Opportunity Youth. As of today, Co-chairs Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) are the three members of the BYOC. Please ask your Representative to join the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus by using this template! If you would like assistance preparing for the meeting or would like to discuss it further, please contact nathan.hora@nyec.org. 

 Executive Branch: 

• The Labor Department Has Awarded $47M in Grants to Provide Jobs, Training, and Supportive Services to Communities Impacted by Poverty and Violence: The $47M of Growth Opportunities funding has gone to 15 organizations that overcome barriers to employment and increase access to opportunities. The funding will also help address violence, crime, and poverty impacting these communities, specifically opportunity youth. The program will provide leadership development and skills training to justice-involved youth to succeed in the labor market.  

• The Department of Health and Human Services is Requesting Comment on a Study Extension for Supporting Youth To Be Successful in Life (SYSIL): The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the Department of Health and Human Services is requesting public comment on continuing data collection for SYSIL. SYSIL is a study that investigates how to decrease the risk of homelessness among youth and young adults involved in the child welfare system, by collaborating with an organization that provided foundational work for the Youth At-Risk of Homelessness project. 

•  The National Environmental Youth Advisory Council Will Convene a Public Meeting on July 17th, 2024: The National Environmental Youth Advisory will discuss environmental justice and youth, addressing food waste, and climate, clean air and environmental justice.  

Legislative Branch: 

• Representative Lucy McBath Introduces a Bill to Amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to Direct the Secretary of Labor to Award Grants to Community Colleges for High-Quality Workforce Development Programs: The legislation aims to direct the Secretary of Labor to award funding to community colleges for workforce development programs. As employers have consistently voiced the necessity of bridging education and industry, this bill is a step forward. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.  

• Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ted Budd (R-NC) Introduce Bill to Boost Microchip Manufacturing Workforce: The bill, titled, The CHIPS Training in America Act, would ensure a coordinated, cohesive federal investment in microelectronics workforce development by requiring a national microelectronics workforce development strategic plan and establishing a grant program to increase workforce development partnerships between industry and localities and community colleges.  

From The States: 

• Maryland: Maryland’s Cannabis Workforce Development Program offers free online training to prepare individuals for careers in the cannabis industry. This comprehensive program includes 100 hours of virtual coursework taught by industry experts, equivalent to approximately four days of training. Participants will also attend a two-day in-person session held at various locations across the state throughout 2025. The program specifically prioritizes individuals with prior cannabis-related convictions 

• New York: The New York State Office of Strategic Workforce Development has allocated an additional $8.7 million in grants to 11 projects statewide through the Workforce Development Capital and Pay for Performance Operating Grant Programs. These grants will facilitate the training of nearly 1,700 workers through partnerships between training providers and over 60 employer partners in sectors such as construction, industrial manufacturing, renewable energy, and software engineering. Operating under Empire State Development, the Office is dedicated to supporting industry-driven workforce development initiatives to ensure New Yorkers acquire the skills needed to meet the demands of the state’s rapidly growing industries. 

 For The Youth: 

• Hurford Youth Fellows (Deadline: 7/31): To spend three months in Washington, D.C. from March 1 to May 31, 2025, apply for the Hurford Youth Fellows Program. Become a better leader, widen your global network, and support democratic movements around the world. Fellowship benefits include office space, health insurance, monthly stipend, round-trip travel, and access to NED’s Democracy Resource Center. 

Resources: 

• The New Voters Collaborative Teen Vogue Op-Ed on Civic Engagement for Young People: The New Voters Collaborative (TNVC) is a nonpartisan coalition of over 30 organizations dedicated to increasing the voting participation and civic engagement of high school students nationwide. The collaborative convenes monthly to discuss critical topics and strategies in high school civic engagement. NYEC has been attending their meetings and engaging with their group of young people, and TNVC’s first op-ed on engaging young people in voting this year has been published by Teen Vogue.