DC Youth and Young Adult Update 11-08-2024

By NYEC | November 8, 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.  
  • Former President Donald Trump, Republicans Win 2024 Elections: Former President Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States, and Republicans have won control of the Senate and are poised to take control over the House. With complete control over the White House and Congress, Republicans will have unilateral ability to enact their policy priorities. At the time of this writing, the largest priority of incoming President Trump and Republican Congressional Leadership will be extending/expanding on the 2017 tax cut package.  

Legislative Branch: 

Congress is in recess until November 12, and therefore there is little legislative activity.  

Executive Branch: 

  • Press Release on National Youth Homelessness Outreach, Prevention, and Education (HOPE) Month: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra issued the linked statement to mark the start of National Youth Homelessness Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE) Month. In the statement, Secretary Becerra shared that in September, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness formally adopted and released Ending Homelessness Before It Starts: A Federal Homelessness Prevention Framework, which seeks to help governments, nonprofits, and emergency services develop cross-system approaches and best practices to obtain and make the best use of available resources.  

 

Federal Funding Opportunities: 

  • DOS Grant: Youth Coalitions for Drug Demand Reduction: Applicants will use funds to carry out a project to improve youth engagement in drug demand reduction interventions, expanding access to community mental health services, and supporting drug prevention through school-based in underserved communities. The project should plan for implementation in at least 10 communities, including at least three communities each in Peru’s coast, Andean, and Amazonian regions. Applications are due January 10, 2025. 
  • IMLS Grant: Native American Library Services Basic Grant: The Native American Basic Grants (NAB) program assists Native American Tribes in establishing, sustaining, and improving library services and operations with their communities. As information needs change, Tribal libraries must be able to serve as knowledge and resource centers to benefit their users and the wellness of their communities. The NAB program supports Tribes across the country to address their individual information needs and priorities. Applications are due February 4, 2025.  

 

Previously Shared 

  • SBA Grant: Microloan Program – National Training Conference: Grants are intended to be awarded to experienced microlending organizations and national and regional nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated experience in providing training support for microenterprise development to assist SBA in conducting a national training conference for Intermediaries participating in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan Program to ensure that such Intermediaries have the knowledge, skills, and understanding of microlending practice necessary to operate successful SBA microloan programs. Applications are due November 8, 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. 
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • FY 2025 National Infrastructure Investments: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 authorized and appropriated $1.5 billion to be awarded by the Department of Transportation for Local and Regional Project Assistance Program Grants under National Infrastructure Investments. This Notice of Funding Opportunity  solicits applications for projects funded under the Local and Regional Project Assistance Program, known as the RAISE Grants program. Applications are due January 30, 2025. 
  • Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program: The purpose of the PROTECT Program is to provide grants on a competitive basis for projects that seek to strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk costal infrastructure. Applications are due February 24, 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: 

  • Texas: Texas is experiencing a remarkable surge in its workforce, boasting the highest labor force participation in its history. With 15.3 million Texans employed, the state has added a quarter of a million jobs in the past year. This growth outpaces the national average, with Texas adding 265,500 non-farm jobs between July 2023 and July 2024. This economic boom is attracting businesses to the Lone Star State, with many companies relocating their headquarters to Texas. Governor Abbott recently highlighted the state’s pro-business policies as a key driver of this success. Despite the strong job growth, Texas maintains a low unemployment rate of 4.1%, just slightly below the national rate. The Texas Workforce Commission reports over half a million current job openings, indicating a robust and thriving economy. 
  • Vermont: To combat the shortage of mental health professionals in rural Vermont, the University of Vermont is launching the Catamount Counseling Collaborative for Rural Schools. This innovative program, funded by a $3.8 million federal grant, will train and place 52 school counselors, social workers, and mental health counselors in rural schools over the next five years. This initiative aims to create a sustainable pipeline of mental health professionals for underserved communities. It will strengthen connections between community colleges and UVM graduate programs, diversify the workforce, and provide financial incentives for graduates to serve in high-need rural schools. Ultimately, the program seeks to improve access to critical mental health services for Vermont’s youth. 

For The Youth: 

  • Future Founders (Entrepreneurship Program): Future Founders was established thanks to the initial generosity of the Motorola Solutions Foundation, a crucial partner who continues to support their mission today. They are also incredibly grateful for the growing community of passionate supporters who share their vision and commitment to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs, between the ages of 18 and 30. They connect youth with a network of mentors as they begin to launch their ideas.  

Resources:  

  • A 50-State Scan of Workforce Development Best Practices: To tackle the challenges of a shifting labor market and meet the demands of key industries, state policymakers are prioritizing workforce development. A new analysis from the Center for American Progress examines recent legislation from all 50 states, highlighting best practices in workforce development strategies. The analysis explores 10 key policy areas and includes examples like Colorado’s investment in pre-apprenticeship programs and Maryland’s creation of a dedicated state agency. 
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