DC Youth and Young Adult Update 12-5-25

News at NYEC:  

• Join NYEC in Houston, TX for Rooted in Action: 2026 Annual Forum! The National Youth Employment Coalition will head to Houston, TX from March 30 – April 1, 2026 for our annual convening of 450+ direct service providers, practitioners, community leaders, employers, and young adults. Submit a proposal to present at the Annual Forum! We’re looking for sessions that offer practical tools, real-world examples, and bold ideas for strengthening opportunities for young people and the systems that support them. Proposals with multiple speakers (including panels) are highly encouraged! Learn more HERE. Proposals due December 10th!

Join us as we work together to increase opportunity and improve education and employment outcomes for all young people! 

• Submit a proposal to present at the Annual Forum! We’re looking for sessions that offer practical tools, real-world examples, and bold ideas for strengthening opportunities for young people and the systems that support them. Proposals with multiple speakers (including panels) are highly encouraged! Learn more HERE. Proposals due December 10th! 

Legislative Branch:   

• Sen. Kaine, Rep. Vindman, Rep. Valadao Introduce the Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act: The bill would amend WIOA to establish a new “Digital Skills at Work” grant program to expand digital skills training within postsecondary education, adult education, and workforce development systems. This legislation would make targeted investments in digital skills training to help Americans seeking jobs or upskilling opportunities, as well as those with barriers to employment, learn or build digital skills.   

• Upcoming Hearing: Building a Talent Marketplace: How LERs Empower Workers and Expand Opportunity: The House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce hearing will take place on December 10 at 10:15 am. Witnesses have yet to be announced.  

• Upcoming Hearing: Building Pathways: Advancing Workforce Development in the 21st Century: The Senate Subcommittee on Education & the American Family will take place on December 9 at 2:00 pm. Witnesses have yet to be announced.  

Executive Branch:  

• U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration Releases New Guidance: In alignment with America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age, this guidance promotes specific waivers to enhance state governance of the workforce system and integrate workforce development, career and technical education, and human services programming to ensure comprehensive support for job seekers.   

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

• OJJDP Grant: FY25 Children’s Advocacy Centers National Subgrants Program: This funding opportunity seeks to provide support to children’s advocacy centers (CACs) through a variety of subgrant assistance designed to enhance effective interventions in child abuse cases. CACs provide a coordinated response to child abuse victims through multidisciplinary teams composed of representatives from the agencies involved in the intervention, prevention, prosecution, and investigation systems that respond to child abuse. Applications are due December 8, 2025.  

• HHS Grant: National Center on Head Start Early Learning, Health and Family Engagement: The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start announces the availability of approximately $15,000,000 to be competitively awarded for the purpose of operating the Head Start National Center on Early Learning, Health, and Family Engagement. This NC will provide training and technical assistance that reflects current evidence, is research-informed, and promotes best practices. Applications are due December 15, 2025. 

• HUD Grant: FY 2025 Continuum of Care Competition and Youth Homeless Demonstration Program Grants: The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness, provide funding for these efforts, and optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Applications are due January 14, 2026. 

From the States: 

• Texas: This article explores why Houston has the highest rate of young adults who are not working or in school among major U.S. cities. It highlights how young mothers are especially affected because limited childcare and inflexible jobs make it difficult for them to stay employed or continue their education. 

Resources: 

• Work With Us – Young Invincibles: The Young Advocates Program is a leadership development initiative designed to cultivate and empower youth leaders who are advancing transformative policy solutions. The program supports young advocates working to make higher education more affordable, expand healthcare access, and promote pathways to quality employment. 

• Workforce Pell Grants Expand Career Training for Young People – The Annie E. Casey Foundation: This article offers a comprehensive overview of Workforce Pell Grants, explaining their purpose, the upcoming reforms taking effect in 2026, and the implications of these changes for states, education institutions, and workforce training programs.