DC Youth and Young Adult Update 5-23-2025

By NYEC | May 23, 2025

News at NYEC:  

  • Save the date for National Youth Employment Coalition’s Annual Youth Days Event in Washington, D.C., from November 5-7, 2025! NYEC is inviting practitioners, community and organization leaders, and young people to join us to bring a voice for opportunity youth to Congress. Whether you are new to policy and advocacy or a skilled advocate, we will provide the tools and training so you can join us in calling for increased investments and new policies that will benefit young people across the nation. We hope to see you there!  
  • Fill out a 6-month Federal Advocacy Calendar! Interested in being more engaged in federal advocacy? The hyperlinked title will direct you to a JotForm that lists concrete steps that you can take in the first 6 months of the year to build a relationship with your Members of Congress! NYEC will make it easy to complete each goal of every month by sharing support, reminders, and more!  

Legislative Branch:  

  • 119th Congressional Committee Updates: 
    • House Appropriations Committee: Chairman Cole Releases Fiscal Year 2026 Markup Schedule: House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) has released the markup schedule for Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee plans to mark up its LHHS bill July 21, where we will see the House’s initial funding proposal for youth workforce development programs. This schedule is subject to change. An official notice for each markup will be sent in accordance to the Committee’s rules. 
  • U.S. House of Representatives Passes Reconciliation Bill: The House of Representatives passed H.R 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, by a vote of 215-214. The bill will next go to the Senate, which has expressed its plans to make changes. The proposal would make significant changes to Medicaid, expand Pell Grant eligibility, require states to cost-share SNAP, and expands tax cuts. The full bill text can be found here. 
  • Sanders, Murray, Baldwin, Scott, DeLauro Decry Cuts at AmeriCorps: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, alongside Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), sent a letter to the Interim Agency Head of AmeriCorps calling for the immediate reversal of layoffs and grant terminations that have debilitated the agency’s core functions and run counter to its longstanding, bipartisan support in Congress. Read the full letter here. 

Executive Branch:  

  • Program Year (PY) 2025 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I Allotments Announced: The Department of Labor announced allotments for PY 2025 for WIOA Title I Youth, Adult, and Dislocated Worker Activities programs; allotments for Employment Service (ES) activities under the Wagner-Peyser Act for PY 2025, and the allotments of Workforce Information Grants to States for PY 2025. The Department must receive comments on the formula used to allot funds to the Outlying Areas by June 18, 2025.
  • U.S. Department of Education Releases Secretary McMahon’s Supplemental Grant Priorities: U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced her first three proposed priorities for U.S. Department of Education discretionary grants: evidence-based literacy, expanding education choice, and returning education to the states. Grant priorities will inform Department discretionary grant programs. Secretary McMahon’s Supplemental Priorities have been published in the Federal Register for a 30-day public comment period. Once all comments are received, summarized, and responded to, the Department will complete the rulemaking process by publishing a Notice of Final Priorities (NFP) that it will utilize to shape future discretionary grant competitions.   
  • HUD Announces More Than $10 Million to House Families and Youth: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded more than $10 million in Family Unification Program (FUP) voucher assistance funding for youth and families who lack safe and adequate housing. The award funds 573 vouchers at 11 public housing agencies (PHAs) across four states. Under FUP, PHAs partner with public child welfare agencies and Continuums of Care to provide Housing Choice Voucher assistance to two groups: 
    • Families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in placing children in out-of-home care, or families for whom the lack of adequate housing is the primary factor in the delay in a child’s reunification with the family. 
    • Youth 18 to 24 years of age (who have not reached their 25th birthday) who left foster care – or will within 180 days – and are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. 

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

Previously Shared  

From The States 

  • Arizona: Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates (JAG), a non-profit renowned for guiding Arizona’s youth from high school to continued education and careers, has been awarded a significant $300,000 grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. The funding, to be distributed over three years, will bolster JAG’s general operating support, directly benefiting high school students across the state through enhanced career readiness programs, mentorship opportunities, and job placement services. This crucial financial support arrives as Arizona grapples with pressing issues affecting its young population, including concerning high school dropout rates and limited workforce development avenues. Notably, in 2023, only 77% of low-income students in Arizona successfully graduated from high school, underscoring the need for programs like JAG. The multi-year grant will empower JAG to continue its proven model of intervention and support, aiming to improve graduation rates, equip students with in-demand skills, and create clearer pathways to postsecondary success and meaningful employment for Arizona’s next generation. 
  • Missouri: Governor Mike Kehoe’s Executive Order 25-16, announced January 28, establishes the “Governor’s Workforce of the Future Challenge.” This initiative tasks the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) with improving Missouri’s career and technical education (CTE) by fostering better coordination among K-12 schools, local businesses, and higher education. DESE will focus on enhancing CTE program utilization and student attainment. Key objectives include increasing partnerships and awareness, incentivizing training that leads to employment, providing resources for parents on emerging industries, strengthening business endorsement of CTE credentials, expanding early career counseling and exploration, developing employability skills resources, addressing the skills gap with work-based learning, and increasing WorkKeys implementation. The order also mandates a review of existing programs, elimination of burdensome regulations, and broad stakeholder engagement, with a first meeting occurring on May 1, 2025. DESE will report annually to the Governor until the order expires on December 31, 2028. The full Executive Order is available on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website. 

For The Youth: 

  • Mastering The Art of Networking (Webinar): Join WGA’s engaging webinar on networking, a vital skill for career advancement. Discover what networking truly means, how to cultivate meaningful professional connections, and tools to simplify the process. They will also cover best practices for follow-ups to transform introductions into lasting relationships. Ideal for both newcomers and those looking to enhance their networking skills, this session offers actionable insights for confident connecting.  
  • Helping Young People Find Their Power (Wallace Foundation Toolkit): The people who are experiencing an injustice should be at the center of creating the solutions for that injustice,” emphasizes Twiggy Pucci Garçon, Chief Strategy Officer at True Colors United, an organization addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness. This principle guided the National Organizations Focused on Marginalized Youth (NOMY) project, where Garçon’s organization and seven others received Wallace funding. NOMY aimed to dismantle barriers to quality learning opportunities for these communities and integrate their viewpoints into national youth equity policy. As Wallace’s Polly Singh notes, the focus isn’t on the “average kid,” but rather “every end of every spectrum.” 

Resources 

  • Students In the Workplace (Webinar): This webinar summarizes extensive research showing how part-time jobs, volunteering, and internships positively impact young adults. Learn why these experiences matter, how schools can optimize them, and see global student participation data from PISA. EduSkills also presented findings from three new OECD papers on impactful student activities preparing them for work.

  • Mental Health Resources for Youth and Families:  This comprehensive resource hub offers mental health, substance use, and supportive services tailored for youth and families navigating early psychosis and related challenges. It includes educational materials, community programs, and guidance for accessing care—helpful for families, providers, and policymakers seeking to connect young people with effective, community-based supports.
     
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