Youth and Young Adult Policy Update 3-20-26

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. Attend sessions from our policy track such as Gaming It Out: How Will Policy Changes Affect Your Program? presented by Thomas Showalter with Showalter Strategies and Nathan Hora, NYEC’s Senior Advisor for Federal Policy.  

• Sign on to the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus Coalition 2025/2026 WIOA Reauthorization Support Letter: As a partner in the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus Coalition & National Opportunity Youth Coalition, please join NYEC in calling for passage of a bipartisan WIOA reauthorization bill this Congress that supports Opportunity Youth! You can read the full text of the letter here. Please sign your organization using this link by March 27. 

 Legislative Branch:   

• Senators Collins and Murray Release FY2027 Appropriations Guidance: U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray, Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released guidance for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 programmatic, language, and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests. General guidance for Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations requests can be found here.  

Executive Branch: 

• Department of Education and Department of Labor Announce First Grant Competition Under Postsecondary Education Partnership: The U.S. Departments of Education and Labor issued the FY26 competition for the Talent Search Program, a grant aimed at helping students pursue high-quality postsecondary education or training, including Registered Apprenticeships. More information on the grant competition can be found here.    

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

• OJJDP Grant: FY25 Second Chance Act Youth Reentry Program: This funding opportunity will provide funding to support states, units of local government, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments in partnership with interested persons (including federal corrections and supervision agencies), service providers, and community-based organizations to provide (1) comprehensive reentry services for moderate- to high-risk youth before, during, and after release from confinement, and (2) support transitional services to assist youth to successfully reenter the community. Applications are due March 30, 2026. 

• DOL Grant: Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program (PfP IPP): The Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program will focus on incentivizing the expansion and growth of the National Apprenticeship System, specifically in industries with a firmly established program infrastructure that will make a significant contribution to the Administration’s goal of exceeding 1 million active apprentices. Applications are estimated to be due April 3, 2026. 

• DOL Grant: The Reentry Employment in Skilled Trades, Advanced Manufacturing, Registered Apprenticeships, and Training (RESTART) Initiative: RESTART supports the advancement of workforce readiness skills and the attainment of employment for ex-offenders across three populations: youth (ages 15-17 years old), young adults (ages 18-24 years old), and adults (ages 25 years old and above). Funds will be awarded to eligible entities to develop programs to train ex-offenders for high-need American jobs and assist them in being productive contributors to the U.S. economy. Applications are due April 15, 2026. 

• HHS Grant: SAMHSA: Children’s Mental Health Initiative: The purpose of the Children’s Mental Health Initiative program is to provide comprehensive community mental health services to children, youth, and young adults, birth through age 21 with a serious emotional disturbance, which may include efforts to identify and serve children at risk, and their families. Applications are due April 20, 2026. 

• DOL/ED Grant: ETA Talent Search Program: The purpose of the Talent Search Program is to identify qualified individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds with potential for education at the postsecondary level and encourage them to complete secondary school and undertake postsecondary education. Applications are due May 1, 2026. 

• DOL Grant: Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (Round 6): Round 6 of the Strengthening Community Colleges (SCC or SCC6) grants will fund community colleges, with a singular focus on building program and system capacity for implementing and scaling access to short-term training opportunities through Workforce Pell Grants—i.e., promoting industry-driven strategies, worker mobility, and integration with the larger state workforce system (e.g., Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners) for statewide impact. Applications are due May 20, 2026. 

From the States: 

• Colorado: Students in Colorado are exploring careers in the space industry through Aerospace Day, an event designed to spark interest in aerospace fields. By connecting youth with professionals, the initiative opens doors to future job opportunities. 

• Michigan: A new Michigan law will update youth employment standards, changing how and when minors can work. The changes are expected to affect scheduling, permitted hours, and employer requirements. 

Resources: 

• The Economic Cost of Injury and Violence: The CDC examines how injuries and violence create significant economic burdens through medical costs, lost productivity, and long-term impacts. The analysis underscores the value of prevention strategies in reducing both harm and public spending. 

• Reengaging Men Through Workforce Pell: The American Institute for Boys and Men explores how Workforce Pell grants could help reengage men in postsecondary education. The proposal would expand Pell eligibility to short-term programs, creating more flexible pathways back into college and training.