YOUTHBUILD
As part of their programming, YouthBuild grantees will tap the energies and talents of disadvantaged youth to increase the supply of permanent affordable housing for homeless individuals and low-income families and to assist youth develop the leadership, learning, and high-demand occupational skills needed to succeed in today's global economy.
The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of job seekers, wage earners and retirees by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities, protecting their retirement and health benefits and generally protecting worker rights and monitoring national economic measures.
Program Accomplishments
This is the first year that the Department of Labor is administering the YouthBuild program so there are no program accomplishments to report.
Uses and Use Restrictions
The funds must be used for: (1) Education and Workforce Activities, such as: basic skills instruction and remedial education; language instruction educational programs for individuals with limited English proficiency; secondary education services and activities, including tutoring, study skills training, and dropout prevention activities, designed to lead to the attainment of a secondary school diploma, General Education Development (GED) credential, or other State-recognized equivalent (including recognized alternative standards for individuals with disabilities); counseling and assistance in obtaining postsecondary education and required financial aid; alternative secondary school services; work experience and skills training (coordinated, to the maximum extent feasible, with pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs) in housing rehabilitation and construction activities; occupational skills training; and other paid and unpaid work experiences, including internships and job shadowing.
(2) Counseling services and related activities, such as comprehensive guidance and counseling on drug and alcohol abuse and referral; (3) Youth development activities, such as: community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social behaviors, and activities related to youth policy committees that allow YouthBuild participants to engage in local policy and decision-making related to the program.
(4) Supportive services and provision of need-based stipends necessary to enable individuals to participate in the program.
(5) Supportive services to assist individuals, for a period not to exceed 12 months after the completion of training, in obtaining or retaining employment, or applying for and transitioning to postsecondary education; and job search and assistance.
(6) Supervision and training for participants in the rehabilitation or construction of housing, including residential housing for homeless individuals or low-income families, or transitional housing for homeless individuals.
(7) Supervision and training for participants in the rehabilitation or construction of community and other public facilities.
(8) Payment of a portion of the administrative costs of the grantee.
(9) Mentoring of participants by qualified adults (10) Provision of wages, stipends, or benefits to participants in the program.
(11) Ongoing training and technical assistance for staff that are related to developing and carrying out the program.
(12) Follow-up services.
(13) Equipment and/or supplies related to the YouthBuild activities funded through this grant.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants for these grants are public or private nonprofit agency or organization (including a consortium of such agencies or organizations), including: community-based organizations; faith-based organizations; an entity carrying out activities under this WIA, such as a local workforce investment board or One-Stop Career Center; a community action agency; a State or local housing development agency; an Indian tribe or other agency primarily serving Indians; a community development corporation; a State or local youth service conservation corps; or any other relevant public or private nonprofit entity that provides education or employment training and can meet the required elements of the grant.
Beneficiary Eligibility
An eligible youth is an individual who is (1) between the ages of 16 and 24 on the date of enrollment; and (2) a member of a disadvantaged youth population such as a member of a low-income family, a youth in foster care (including youth aging out of foster care), a youth offender, a youth who is an individual with a disability, a child of an incarcerated parent, or a migrant youth; and (3) a school dropout. Up to (but not more than) 25 percent of the participants in the program may be youth who do not meet the education and disadvantaged criteria above but who are: (1) basic skills deficient, despite attainment of a secondary school diploma, General Education Development (GED) credential, or other State-recognized equivalent (including recognized alternative standards for individuals with disabilities); or (2) have been referred by a local secondary school for participation in a YouthBuild program leading to the attainment of a secondary school diploma.
Credentials/Documentation
Grantees must demonstrate an adequate organizational capacity to implement a YouthBuild program. Additionally, grantees must provide evidence of the capacity to track and report performance outcomes.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
None except as specified in solicitations.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
Grants for projects are awarded on a competitive basis, announced in Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGAs) in the Federal Register and also on ETA's Internet website at http://www.doleta.gov. To compete for a grant, organizations develop a proposal and budget that demonstrate how the organization will provide services to a targeted population. The SGA provides all of the necessary information for applying for federal assistance.
Award Procedures
Procedures for each project are specified in the applicable request for proposals. Generally, the procedure is as follows: A technical review panel composed of staff from ETA program offices as well as peer reviewers evaluates eligible submitted applications. The panel prepares a report for the ETA Grant Officer identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the application and the cumulative rating. Once selections are made by the Grant Officer, an Award Notification is sent through the appropriate congressional channels for notification. After awardees are notified, the list of awardees is posted on the ETA website at www.doleta.gov. If an application is rejected, a letter is sent to the applicant as notification that they were not selected as a recipient of the grant.
Deadlines
Specified in the applicable request for proposals, but generally 45 to 60 days from announcement.
Authorization
Workforce Investment Act(WIA) of 1998, Title I, Subtitle D, Section 173A, YouthBuild Program, Public Law 109-281,Public Law 105-220, 20 U.S.C. 9201.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time From 90 to 120 days.
Appeals
Procedures for each project are specified in the applicable Solicitation for Grant Applications.
Renewals
Renewals with funds are not available. However, with significant justification ETA may elect to exercise its option to award no-cost extensions to these grants for an additional period at its own discretion, based on the success of the program and other relevant factors.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for eligibility; however, applicants are encouraged to leverage the resources of the partnership whenever possible.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Most projects last 2 to 3 years. Payments to grantees are usually made by Letter of Credit draw-down procedures.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
At a minimum, quarterly progress and financial reports and final reports are required.
Additional requirements are included in the solicitation.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised June 27, 2003) Audits of states, local governments, and nonprofit organizations, non-federal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more in federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in federal awards are exempt from federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Recipients are required to maintain books, records, documents, and other evidence of accounting procedures and practices sufficient to reflect properly all direct and indirect costs of whatever nature claimed to have been incurred for the performance of the grant. Records are to be retained for three years from the date of final payment unless the grant officer authorizes earlier disposal.
Financial Information
Account Identification
16-0174-0-1-504.
Obigations
(Project Grants); FY 07 $0; FY 08 est $108,000,000; and FY 09 est $50,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Grant awards will range from $350,000 - $550,000 for up to two years (so $700,000 1.1M). Most grants should average around $500,000 (1 M over 2 years).
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
Provided in the applicable Solicitation for Grant Applications.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Contact the nearest Employment and Training Administration regional office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Division of Youth Services, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Room N-4511 Washington, DC 20210. Contact: Anne Stom. Telephone: (202) 693-3377; E-mail: youthbuild@dol.gov.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Criteria for each proposal are specified in the applicable Solicitation for Grant Applications.
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