DC Youth and Young Adult Update 5-30-2025

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!  

• US Department of Labor Pauses Job Corps Center Operations: The U.S. Department of Labor announced it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide. The pause will occur by June 30, 2025. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins issued this statement opposing the pause. 

Legislative Branch:  

No new legislative branch updates. 

Executive Branch:  

• Secretary Chavez-DeRemer Set to Testify Before the House Education and Workforce Committee to Outline Department of Labor’s Budget and Priorities: The Committee on Education and Workforce will hold a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor” on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 10:15 a.m. EST. DOL Secretary Chavez-DeRemer will testify over the Department’s priorities. The hearing is open to the press and will be live-streamed on the Committee’s YouTube page. 

• Secretary McMahon Set to Testify Before the House Education and Workforce Committee to Outline Department of Education’s Budget and Priorities: The Committee on Education and Workforce will hold a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education” on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 10:15 a.m. EST. Department of Education Secretary McMahon will testify over the Department’s priorities. The hearing is open to the press and will be live-streamed on the Committee’s YouTube page. 

• U.S. Government Accountability Office Releases Report on Apprenticeships: GAO released its report, “Apprenticeship: Earn-and-Learn Opportunities Can Benefit Workers and Employers.” The report shows that those who participate in Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) are likely to earn higher post-completion wages than those in an associate’s program, incur less debt than technical education students, and benefit from industry-connected skills education. House Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (MI-05) issued this statement following the report’s release. 

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

No new federal funding opportunities. 

Previously Shared  

• ED Grant: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program: The purpose of the OSP is to provide low-income parents residing in the District of Columbia, particularly parents of students who attend an elementary school or secondary school identified as one of the lowest performing schools under the District of Columbia’s accountability system, with expanded opportunities for enrolling their children in private schools in the District of Columbia. Applications are due July 7, 2025. 

• DOJ Grant: Office on Violence Against Women: OVW Fiscal Year 2025 Grants to Engage Men and Youth in Preventing Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program: The Grants to Engage Men and Youth in Preventing Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (EM Program) is one of two NOFOs issued under the Consolidated Youth and Engaging Men (CYEM) Program. The purpose of the EM Program is to engage men and youth in preventing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Applications are due July 8, 2025. 

From The States 

• New York: This summer, New York’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is set to connect approximately 21,000 youth under 21 from low-income backgrounds with valuable entry-level job experiences. These roles will be in diverse environments such as parks, summer camps, and cultural institutions. A local example is Clinton County’s “Six Weeks of Employment Experience for Teens” (SWEET) program, which, under SYEP, will offer youth employment for up to 30 hours per week at a rate of $16 an hour throughout July and August. 

• California: Addressing a critical need, the San Diego Foundation has granted $2.1 million to local nonprofits to expand mental and behavioral health care access for the region’s children, youth, and families. Mark Stuart, SDF President & CEO, highlighted the urgency, noting, “Mental health issues are the top reason youth are hospitalized in California.” He added, “We’re supporting local organizations working directly with young people to ensure they get the help they need, when they need it.” 

For The Youth: 

• UNICEF USA July 2025 Youth Advocacy Training (YAG): The Youth Advocacy Training program is designed to equip US-based youth, aged 14-24, with foundational advocacy skills for effective youth-led civic engagement.  

•  Moonshot Awards (Empowering Young Leaders): Young innovators and their mentors can secure significant funding—over $100,000 across 8 categories—and enter acceleration programs for 100 participants through the Moonshot Awards. 

Resources:  

• Helping Young People Find Their Power (Wallace Foundation Toolkit): Discover how three organizations are removing barriers to learning opportunities and uplifting young people’s voices. 

• 5 Reasons Why Mentoring Young People Will Make You a Better Practitioner: Young people are increasingly viewed as active changemakers, not just future consumers, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Shapers Impact Report. This is evidenced by the report’s findings that hundreds of youth-led initiatives worldwide are currently addressing critical local issues, from combating climate change effects and advancing education to harnessing emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.