The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U. S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $100 million in grant funds, authorized under Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), as amended (codified at 29 U.S.C.

2916a),

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for the Youth CareerConnect grant program.

The program is designed to provide high school students with education and training that combines rigorous academic and technical curricula focused on specific in-demand occupations and industries for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers as well as the related activities necessary to support such training to increase participants’ employability in H-1B in-demand industries and occupations.

Furthermore, given the large number of H-1B visas in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) industries, pending high quality proposals, DOL expects a large share of the grants to support education and training in STEM industries.

The ultimate goals for the program are to ensure that participants gain academic and occupational skills by completing the program and graduating from high school; move into a positive placement following high school that includes unsubsidized employment, post-secondary education, long-term occupational skills training, or Registered Apprenticeship; obtain an industry-recognized credential in an H-1B industry or occupation for those industries where credential attainment is feasible by program completion, in addition to a high school diploma; and earn post-secondary credit towards a degree or credit-bearing certificate issued by an institution of higher education.

Grants must be awarded to partnerships of private and public sector entities as defined in Section III.

Applicants are required to provide a match of 25 percent of the grant award as discussed in Section III.B.