YouthBuild 2025
General information
YouthBuild is a pre-apprenticeship program that prepares participants for quality jobs in various industry sectors and aligns with Executive Order 14278, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” specifically by preparing participants to enter and succeed in Registered Apprenticeships. YouthBuild also includes wrap-around supportive services such as assistance in transportation, childcare, and housing. YouthBuild programs must offer participants construction training and hands-on experiences building affordable housing for their community. Programs may also include a Construction Plus component, providing vocational training in additional high-demand industries.
The goals of the YouthBuild program are to:
- Develop partnerships and pathways that lead directly to high-wage employment and placements in Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs);
- Provide youth with workforce readiness skills to achieve economic self-sufficiency through the pursuit of post-secondary education, training, RAPs, and employment in indemand occupations;
- Expand the supply of permanent affordable housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families;
- Encourage the alignment of the pre-apprenticeship model with training for construction industries, as well as in-demand industries through Construction Plus for participants who may not have an interest in a construction career or in local areas where construction may present less of a growth industry than other fields;
- Offer an educational alternative for young people interested in hands-on, meaningful learning activities, aligning with Executive Order 14191, “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families”
- Prepare participants to enter and succeed in RAPs, aligning with Executive Order 14278, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future”; and
- Expand access to high-quality AI coursework and certifications, aligning with Executive Order 14277, “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for Youth”.
Funding details
Funding application timeline
Grant eligibility
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private non-profit institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, (including charter schools) other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Subject to the number of quality applications, DOL intends to award at least 50 percent of the total available grant competition funding to eligible applicants previously funded by the DOL YouthBuild program that have demonstrated success in the program, referred to as Category A. DOL will award the remainder of funds to other qualifying organizations, referred to as Category B. Category A applicants can request funding between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000; Category B applicants can request funding between $1,000,000 and $1,500,000.
Entities that received funding from the FY 2024 YouthBuild competition [FOA-ETA-24-53] are ineligible to apply to this FOA.
Among eligible applicants listed above, the applicant agency or organization must also maintain a physical local presence in any identified target communities the applicant proposes to serve.