DC Youth and Young Adult Update 10-04-2024

News at NYEC: 

• Join the National Youth Employment Coalition’s 2025 Annual Forum- Empowering Youth, Transforming Communities, in Minneapolis, MN, from May 12-14, 2025! This event will gather practitioners, youth advocates, and community leaders to explore key topics like youth leadership, holistic supports, living wage employment, and policy & advocacy. 

• WIOA Programs can Help Participants Register to Vote: As we approach the 2024 election, NYEC wants to remind its members that the Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance in 2022 sharing that programs receiving WIOA funds may engage in voter registration activities. Specifically, DOL stated that the following partners of American Job Centers may engage in such activities: WIOA Title I Youth, YouthBuild, Indian and Native American, National Farmworker, and Reentry Employment Opportunities programs and Job Corps operators.  

Legislative Branch: 

• Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN) Introduces Legislation to Create an Entrepreneurship Corps National Service Program: The bill would amend the Small Business Act to establish the Entrepreneurship Corps National Service Program. The bill text has not been released yet, but it will be available in the coming days.  

Executive Branch: 

• Upcoming Meeting: Native American Employment and Training Council: The formal agenda will focus on the following main topics: (1) Updates from the Employment and Training Administration; (2) NAETC workgroup updates; (3) U.S. Department of Labor Division of Indian and Native American Programs updates; and (4) public comment. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m., (Pacific time) on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, and continue until 5 p.m. (Pacific time). The meeting will reconvene at 10 a.m. (Pacific time), on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, and adjourn at 4 p.m. (Pacific time). 

• White House Announces a Proclamation on National Youth Justice Action Month: The President’s Proclamation includes a commitment to ensuring that communities are safe and supportive so that young people thrive and a commitment to developing a juvenile justice system that reflects equality, fairness, and opportunity. 

• White House Announces a Proclamation on National Disability Employment Awareness Month: The President’s Proclamation states that America’s economy is stronger when every American has an opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully and includes a commitment to opening the doors of opportunity wider for people with disabilities.  

Federal Funding Opportunities: 

• DOL Grant: Workforce Pathways for Youth – Rounds 4 and 5: The applicant must be a national OST non-profit (501(c)(3)) organization, that proposes to serve youth that have been historically underserved and marginalized.  For purposes of this funding announcement, a national organization is defined as an organization that has affiliates operating in at least three states. Applications are due December 3rd, 2024.  

Previously Shared 

• The Department of Education Seeks Funding Applicants for the Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education Program: The funding aims to support organizations that work directly with gang-involved youth to help them pursue higher education opportunities. Applications are due September 30th, 2024. 

• HUD Grant: Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing: Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) empowers communities that are actively taking steps to remove barriers to affordable housing and seeking to increase housing production and lower housing costs over the long term. Applications due October 15, 2024. 

• National Rural Transit Assistance Program: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $3,250,723 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Rural Transportation Assistance Program funds through a competitive cooperative agreement award. FTA is soliciting proposals under the agency’s Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program to select an entity to administer a National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP). The National RTAP will carry out activities to design and implement training and technical assistance projects and other support services tailored to meet the specific needs of transit operators in rural areas, including tribal transit services. Applications due November 12, 2024. 

• High School Equivalency Program: The HEP is designed to assist migratory or seasonal farmworkers (or immediate family members of such workers) to obtain the equivalent of a secondary school diploma and subsequently to gain improved employment, enter military service, or be placed in an institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary education or training. Applications will be available on September 3, 2024 and will close November 15, 2024. 

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants: AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations that engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. AmeriCorps members may receive a living allowance and other benefits. After successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award they can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans. Applications are due by January 23, 2025. 

• Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant: The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant programs provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. Applications are due June 30, 2025. 

From The States: 

• Tennessee: Nashville faces a critical shortage of childcare options, with just eight centers per 1,000 children. This scarcity leads to long waitlists, forcing 60% of working parents to grapple with employment disruptions and causing a staggering $275.4 million in economic losses last year alone. The impact extends beyond family budgets, jeopardizing early childhood development, graduation rates, and the overall workforce 

• Ohio: To combat the state-wide shortage of skilled workers in the aging population, the State of Ohio has launched a new program aimed at addressing that. The 2024-2025 Ohio Scholars in Aging program application period is now open. The program partners with the Ohio Department of Aging and the Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education. According to the program, Ohio undergraduate and graduate students of relevant academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply and serve as “an opportunity to learn about aging-related policy creation, growing a professional network, and gaining career knowledge and skills in the field of aging.” 

For The Youth: 

• YEA! Who can apply: Young people under the age of 18 (application opens January 2025) Are you a young entrepreneur or creator with a story to tell? Apply now for YEA!, a worldwide opportunity for youth (18 and under) to share their projects and entrepreneurial journeys. A panel of experts will evaluate your submission based on your learning and innovation. Don’t miss this chance to shine! 

Resources: 

• MitraTech’s Webinar on Diversifying Your HR Systems: The HR landscape is rapidly evolving, with pandemic-driven changes, shifting employee expectations, and new regulations. To thrive in this environment, organizations need to leverage AI, optimize remote and hybrid work, and ensure compliance. Join Craig Leen for a webinar where he’ll provide expert insights on navigating these challenges, including AI integration, workforce management, caregiver support, and pay equity. Gain the knowledge you need to stay ahead of the curve