POLICY UPDATE 7-24-26

July 24, 2026 |

News at NYEC

Registration is Open: NYEC’s DC Summit in Washington, DC – September 21-23! September 21-23! Sessions will include How State and Local Advocates Are Reshaping Youth Policy, Insights from the U.S. Department of Labor, & and Advocacy Refresher.

Legislative Branch

  • A Push for AI In Apprenticeships: Representative Mike Haridopolos introduced H.R.9907 to the House Committee on Education and Workforce to enable the Department of Labor to promote the necessity of artificial intelligence to safeguard the welfare and job security of apprentices.

Executive Branch

  • Department of Labor: Nominee Defends Education-Labor Partnership:  Keith Sonderling, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor, defended the administration’s decision to shift certain Department of Education functions to the Department of Labor during his Senate confirmation hearing. Sonderling emphasized that the Labor Department’s role is to provide administrative support while strengthening coordination between education and workforce development programs.  
  • White House Prioritizes Skills-Based Workforce Strategy: The Trump administration continues advancing its skills-based workforce agenda by prioritizing Registered Apprenticeships, Workforce Pell, and the “Make America Skilled Again” initiative while proposing to make the Department of Labor the central federal agency for workforce development. 

From the States

  • California: The California Department of Industrial Relations launched a statewide summer safety campaign reminding employers of their responsibilities to protect young workers from heat-related illnesses and workplace hazards. The initiative includes education on youth employment laws, workplace safety requirements, and resources for employers and young workers as summer employment peaks. 
  • Wisconsin: A new Wisconsin survey found employers continue to view registered apprenticeships as an effective strategy for addressing workforce shortages but identified limited awareness, staffing capacity, and administrative burdens as key barriers to expanding programs. The findings are expected to inform state efforts to strengthen apprenticeship participation and workforce development. 

Resources

  • Workforce Pell Grant Offers New Opportunity for Business Leaders: Business Leaders United (BLU) released a practical Workforce Pell resource outlining the new federal Workforce Pell program, which expands Pell Grant eligibility to short-term, high-quality workforce training programs. The resource explains student eligibility, eligible programs, implementation timelines, and key considerations for states, institutions, and workforce partners as Workforce Pell rolls out nationwide.  
  • Voters of Tomorrow Summit: Voters of Tomorrow is hosting its annual summit in Raleigh, North Carolina, bringing together Gen Z organizers, activists, and young leaders for workshops, networking, and discussions on youth political engagement and civic participation. The summit is free to attend, though attendance is subject to approval, and travel assistance is available for some participants. 
  • Creative Economy Pathways Series: The Creating Abundance Collaborative is hosting a five-part national virtual town hall series that will explore how Creative Youth Development (CYD) programs prepare adolescents and young adults for the future of work through art and culture. The series will highlight innovative workforce development strategies that build leadership, creativity, communication, collaboration, and career readiness while fostering pathways to employment and economic opportunities.  
  • Aspen Institute Financial Capability Toolkit for Opportunity Youth: The toolkit explores how financial capability can be meaningfully integrated into workforce and education pathways for opportunity youth. It examines four models – from summer employment programs and national partnerships to locally driven collaborations and asset-building strategies while also exploring broader factors that shape implementation, including staff wellbeing, changing income pathways, digital financial learning, and emerging technologies. 
  • Youth Leadership Opportunity: The Britebound Center for Career Navigation at JFF is looking for motivated changemakers (ages 18-24) to help shape how young adults explore careers, access education and job training, and find jobs that work for them. Applications are due July 24, 2026.  

Federal Funding Opportunities

  • FY 2026 Susan Harwood Training Grant Program: The grant program offers eligible organizations the opportunity to compete annually for funding, so they may develop and conduct training and educational programs for small business employers and workers. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program supports eligible organizations’ efforts to provide occupational safety and health training. Applications are due July 31, 2026   
  • HHS Grant: FY2026 Runaway Homeless Youth Training, Technical Assistance, and Capacity Building Center (RHYTTAC): The Runaway and Homeless Youth Training, Technical Assistance, and Capacity Building Center (RHYTTAC) provides direct training and technical assistance to existing RHY award recipients and subrecipients to enhance their efforts to successfully implement FYSB-funded projects. Applications are due August 14, 2026. 
  • Forecasted HHS Grant: FY 2026 Basic Center Program: The Basic Center Program (BCP) provides temporary, emergency shelter; and counseling services to youth who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians, have been forced to leave home, or other homeless youth who might otherwise end up in the law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems. Applications are due August 17, 2026. 
  • Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund Grant Program: The Department of Labor announced the availability of approximately $40 million for a second round of the Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund (“Training Fund”) grants, with at least $5 million of the total available funding to be awarded to support training in the shipbuilding industry. This second round of Training Fund grants is largely the same as the first round from the original Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 02-25, but this TEGL 02-25 Change 1 contains several revisions that apply to the second round of applications. All the information applicable to the second round of Training Fund grants can be found here. Applications are due August 17, 2026. 
  • HUD Grant: FY 2026 Continuum of Care Competition and Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program Grants: The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness and providing funding for efforts by providers. Applications are due August 26, 2026. 

Key federal and state developments, funding opportunities, grants, and resources impacting workforce development programs and services.