DC Youth and Young Adult Update 6-06-2025

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!  

Legislative Branch:  

• 119th Congressional Committee Updates: 

• House Committee on Education and Workforce: Chair Walberg Holds Hearing to Examine the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education: Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (MI-05) held a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education” and addressed U.S. Department of Education Secretary, Linda McMahon. The full hearing can be watched here.  

• House Education on Education and Workforce: Chair Walberg Holds Hearing to Examine the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor: Chairman Tim Walberg held a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor” and addressed U.S. Department of Labor Secretary, Lori Chavez-DeRemer. The full hearing can be watched here. 

• Senate Appropriations Committee: Senator Collins Presses Secretary of Education on Elimination of TRIO, Pell Grant Expansion: At a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs and expanding Pell Grants to be used for short-term training programs. 

• Congressman Krishnamoorthi Re-Introduces Resolution Calling to Double Federal Funding for Career and Technical Education: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) re-introduced a congressional resolution calling for the doubling of federal funding for career and technical education (CTE). The full text of the resolution can be found here. 

• Reps. Evans and Edwards Introduce Bipartisan Job-Training Bill: U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans (PA-03) and Chuck Edwards (NC-11) have introduced a bipartisan job-training bill, the Leveraging Educational Opportunity Networks (LEON) Act, aimed to help build pathways out of poverty and solve the nation’s structural, long-term labor shortage. Under the bill (H.R. 3681), the U.S. Department of Labor would provide federal competitive grants to organizations that partner with local employers to provide no-cost professional training to workers for living-wage jobs in construction, disaster recovery, manufacturing and more. The text of the bill is available here. 

Executive Branch:  

• DOL Issues Guidance on Job Corps Closures, Closures Legally Challenged: As we shared last week, the Department of Labor announced that it would be closing Job Corps centers across the nation. Since then, the Department shared guidance over email, which can be found here, to Job Corps operators as they begin to adhere to the Department’s notice. Yesterday, a judge ordered to halt the suspension of Job Corps centers and scheduled a hearing for June 17. NYEC remains concerned about the impact of Job Corps centers closing, as it will mean more than 25,000 young people will have their education, training, and housing abruptly discontinued. We are tracking the Administration’s actions closely and will share updates as they come out.  

• Secretary Chavez-DeRemer Highlights Skilled Workforce Training on America at Work Tour: U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer continued her America at Work listening tour this week with visits to Long Island, New York, and Edison, New Jersey, where she met with apprentices and observed hands-on training in welding, framing, and acoustical work. 

• HUD Provides $1.3 million to Support Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner announced a $1.3 million dollar investment across 10 states under HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program to assist young Americans aging out of the foster care system with temporary, supportive funding to prevent homelessness. Recipients of the awards announced today can be found here. 

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 

• Virginia: To address workforce housing needs, Virginia is channeling nearly $17 million to ten localities, a move that will generate 740 new housing units. A notable project in Harrisonburg, funded with over $1.2 million, will transform a former office building into The Flats at West Market, significantly boosting affordable rental housing for the regional workforce.  

• North Carolina: At the Vision Northwest North Carolina Conference in Boone, Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt outlined her “Future-Ready Agenda” to local officials and business leaders, stressing the need for workforce development through community colleges and solutions to the childcare crisis, particularly as the region rebuilds from Hurricane Helene. She advocated training and affordable childcare to empower the workforce. 

For The Youth: 

•  How Young People Can Deal With Sexism In The Workplace: Young women frequently encounter frustrating and unique problems stemming from inherent sexist behavior by male bosses or colleagues. Addressing these issues, Jessica Bennett’s 2016 book, “Feminist Fight Club” (Harper-Collins), serves as a workplace manual. Aimed primarily at young women, it draws on research and statistics to suggest actionable “fight moves” for combating daily sexism and advancing their careers. 

Resources:  

• Advancing Racial Justice in the Workplace Toolkit: Racial inequity creates widespread challenges in U.S. workplaces, impacting career advancement, compensation, benefits, and retention. This toolkit explains how union professionals use collective bargaining to address both deliberate and systemic racism.