Youth and Young Adult Policy Update 4-10-26

April 10, 2026

• Recapping NYEC’s Annual Forum: Rooted in Action: Thank you to everyone who joined us in Houston, Texas, for NYEC’s Annual Forum! More than 300 attendees learned from one another and from our amazing speakers about how to create better ecosystems for young people. Houston Mayor John Whitmire joined us on the final day of the event, and proclaimed that April 1, 2026, is National Youth Employment Coalition Day in Houston! We also want to say a huge thank you to our sponsors who made this event possible. We look forward to seeing you next year!

• House Education and Workforce Republicans Release Partisan WIOA Reauthorization Bill: The bill, titled A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026, maintains many of the provisions that were in A Stronger Workforce for America 2024, though there are some key differences. NYEC is still going through this bill in detail, so please flag any provisions that stand out to you with nathan.hora@nyec.org.
  What is different from 2024
  • Does not use the term “opportunity youth”, though it maintains expanding eligibility to youth experiencing homelessness and those in foster care, regardless of school status;
  • Authorizes level-funding for the WIOA Youth program (compared to modest proposed increases in the 2024 version); and
  • Names the pilot state block grant program “Make America Skilled Again”, doubles the number of possible state pilots from 5 (2024 version) to 10 and number of possible local area pilots from 4 (2024 version) to 8. The 2026 version also removed the eligibility requirements for state consolidation proposed in 2024, making any state eligible for consolidation (with an approval process from the state government).
  • Moves the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), or adult education programming (WIOA Title II) from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor.
  What is the same or similar to 2024 version
  • As noted above, expands the out-of-school youth definition to include youth experiencing homelessness and those in the foster care system, regardless of school status;
  • Allows Governors to reserve up to 10% of Title I Youth funds to establish a critical industry skills fund and/or an industry or sector partnership and career pathways development fund for youth;
  • Requires state and local boards to conduct an analysis of the OSY population in their respective areas and list any gaps in services to OSY;
  • Shift from 75% of local boards’ Youth Programs funds going to OSY to 70% of state boards’ funds (floor of 45% of funds to OSY for local boards);
  • Allows for creation of a Standing Committee to advise on provisions of services to youth to include an “Out of School Youth”, CBOs in youth workforce development, youth system rep, and YouthBuild
  • Allows for the use of self-attestation (40 days for programs to retrieve documents);
  • Bumps up work experience requirement for local boards’ youth activities from 20% to 40% and requires that 12.5% of dedicated funds must be used for youth pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships;
  • Creates the Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grant competitive program and provides $65m in mandatory funding for it;
  • Codifies the Reentry Employment Opportunities program and directs 20% of funding to youth programming (also authorizes level funding); and
  • Allows local area funds to be used for youth Individual Training Accounts (ITAs).

• President Trump Releases FY27 Budget Request: President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, which highlights his priorities for FY27 appropriations. His budget maintains the “Make America Skilled Again” block grant proposal that was in his FY26 budget request. The block grant would consolidate all workforce development programs into one block grant to the states and would require that 10% of funds go to apprenticeship. The proposal would also cut overall workforce development spending by about $1.23 billion.
• US Department of Labor Announces $76M Available to Advance Employment Readiness for American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians: The funding will support American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian adults and youth develop academic, occupational, and literacy skills. The department will also award Supplemental Youth Service grants to support summer and year-round employment and training activities for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian youth, ages 14 to 24, residing on or near a reservation and in Oklahoma, Alaska, and Hawaii. This population includes youth in high school, those without a high school diploma, and young people who need to acquire basic skills.

• 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.
• DOJ Grant: FY25 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes: This funding opportunity supports state, local, and tribal governments and community-based organizations to provide education and employment programs for people leaving jail and prison. The goal of the program is to improve academic and vocational/trade programs available to people in prisons and jails and expand workforce development and career pathways that result in improved job readiness, employment attainment, and retention thereby improving employment prospects and reducing recidivism. Applications are due May 4, 2026.
• DOJ Grant: FY25 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program: This funding opportunity will support community-based organizations and tribal governments to provide mentoring and transitional services for adults returning to communities after a period of incarceration in a prison or a jail and who are assessed as moderate to high risk for recidivism. Applications are due May 4, 2026.
• DOJ Grant: FY25 Expanding Youth Access to Community-Based Treatment: This funding opportunity supports community-based treatment programs serving justice-involved youth under the age of 18 with substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder (MHSUD) needs. Applications are due May 4, 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.

• California: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a major expansion of apprenticeship and training opportunities across California. The initiative is expected to open pathways for more than 60,000 Californians to gain skills and enter the workforce.
• Minnesota: New grants in Minnesota will support workforce programs such as YouthBuild, which helps young people gain skills and work experience. The initiative is designed to strengthen career pathways and connect participants to employment opportunities.

• Maryland Reduces Youth Detention: Maryland has reached a significant milestone in reducing youth detention, reflecting ongoing efforts to shift toward community-based alternatives. The update highlights continued progress in rethinking how the state supports young people in the justice system.
• Expanding Opportunity Through WIOA Title I: A CAPE-Youth webinar on April 28 will examine how WIOA Title I can be leveraged to strengthen workforce systems for youth and young adults with disabilities. The webinar will focus on how states are using policy and data to improve access to jobs and long-term economic success.
• State Strategies for Youth Justice Reform: State lawmakers are sharing strategies to strengthen youth justice systems, with a focus on prevention, community-based alternatives, and reducing reliance on incarceration. The discussion highlights how states are working to improve outcomes for young people while addressing system inequities.