§ 2918a. YouthBuild program
(a)
Statement of purpose
The purposes of this section are—
(1)
to enable disadvantaged youth to obtain the education and employment skills necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency in occupations in demand and postsecondary education and training opportunities;
(2)
to provide disadvantaged youth with opportunities for meaningful work and service to their communities;
(b)
Definitions
In this section:
(2)
Applicant
The term “applicant” means an eligible entity that has submitted an application under subsection (c).
(3)
Eligible entity
The term “eligible entity” means a public or private nonprofit agency or organization (including a consortium of such agencies or organizations), including—
(5)
Housing development agency
The term “housing development agency” means any agency of a State or local government, or any private nonprofit organization, that is engaged in providing housing for homeless individuals or low-income families.
(10)
Qualified national nonprofit agency
The term “qualified national nonprofit agency” means a nonprofit agency that—
(11)
Registered apprenticeship program
The term “registered apprenticeship program” means an apprenticeship program—
(A)
registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the “National Apprenticeship Act”; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 20 [1] U.S.C. 50 et seq.); and
(12)
Transitional housing
The term “transitional housing” means housing provided for the purpose of facilitating the movement of homeless individuals to independent living within a reasonable amount of time. The term includes housing primarily designed to serve deinstitutionalized homeless individuals and other homeless individuals who are individuals with disabilities or members of families with children.
(13)
YouthBuild program
The term “YouthBuild program” means any program that receives assistance under this section and provides disadvantaged youth with opportunities for employment, education, leadership development, and training through the rehabilitation or construction of housing for homeless individuals and low-income families, and of public facilities.
(c)
YouthBuild grants
(1)
Amounts of grants
The Secretary is authorized to make grants to applicants for the purpose of carrying out YouthBuild programs approved under this section.
(2)
Eligible activities
An entity that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the funds made available through the grant to carry out a YouthBuild program, which may include the following activities:
(A)
Education and workforce investment activities including—
(i)
work experience and skills training (coordinated, to the maximum extent feasible, with preapprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs) in the rehabilitation and construction activities described in subparagraphs (B) and (C);
(iv)
services and activities designed to meet the educational needs of participants, including—
(III)
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);
(v)
counseling services and related activities, such as comprehensive guidance and counseling on drug and alcohol abuse and referral;
(vi)
activities designed to develop employment and leadership skills, which may include community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social behaviors, and activities related to youth policy committees that participate in decision-making related to the program;
(vii)
supportive services and provision of need-based stipends necessary to enable individuals to participate in the program and 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
(B)
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.
(C)
Supervision and training for participants in the rehabilitation or construction of community and other public facilities, except that not more than 10 percent of funds appropriated to carry out this section may be used for such supervision and training.
(D)
Payment of administrative costs of the applicant, except that not more than 15 percent of the amount of assistance provided under this subsection to the grant recipient may be used for such costs.
(3)
Application
(A)
Form and procedure
To be qualified to receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(B)
Minimum requirements
The Secretary shall require that the application contain, at a minimum—
(i)
labor market information for the labor market area where the proposed program will be implemented, including both current data (as of the date of submission of the application) and projections on career opportunities in growing industries;
(iii)
a description of the applicant and a statement of its qualifications, including a description of the applicant’s relationship with local boards, one-stop operators, local unions, entities carrying out registered apprenticeship programs, other community groups, and employers, and the applicant’s past experience, if any, with rehabilitation or construction of housing or public facilities, and with youth education and employment training programs;
(v)
a description of the educational and job training activities, work opportunities, postsecondary education and training opportunities, and other services that will be provided to participants, and how those activities, opportunities, and services will prepare youth for employment in occupations in demand in the labor market area described in clause (i);
(vi)
a description of the proposed rehabilitation or construction activities to be undertaken under the grant and the anticipated schedule for carrying out such activities;
(vii)
a description of the manner in which eligible youth will be recruited and selected as participants, including a description of arrangements that will be made with local boards, one-stop operators, community- and faith-based organizations, State educational agencies or local educational agencies (including agencies of Indian tribes), public assistance agencies, the courts of jurisdiction, agencies operating shelters for homeless individuals and other agencies that serve youth who are homeless individuals, foster care agencies, and other appropriate public and private agencies;
(viii)
a description of the special outreach efforts that will be undertaken to recruit eligible young women (including young women with dependent children) as participants;
(ix)
a description of the specific role of employers in the proposed program, such as their role in developing the proposed program and assisting in service provision and in placement activities;
(x)
a description of how the proposed program will be coordinated with other Federal, State, and local activities and activities conducted by Indian tribes, such as local workforce investment activities, vocational education programs, adult and language instruction educational programs, activities conducted by public schools, activities,[2] conducted by community colleges, national service programs, and other job training provided with funds available under this chapter;
(xi)
assurances that there will be a sufficient number of adequately trained supervisory personnel in the proposed program;
(xii)
a description of results to be achieved with respect to common indicators of performance for youth and lifelong learning, as identified by the Secretary;
(xiii)
a description of the applicant’s relationship with local building trade unions regarding their involvement in training to be provided through the proposed program, the relationship of the proposed program to established registered apprenticeship programs and employers, and the ability of the applicant to grant industry-recognized skill certification through the program;
(xiv)
a description of activities that will be undertaken to develop the leadership skills of participants;
(xv)
a detailed budget and a description of the system of fiscal controls, and auditing and accountability procedures, that will be used to ensure fiscal soundness for the proposed program;
(xvi)
a description of the commitments for any additional resources (in addition to the funds made available through the grant) to be made available to the proposed program from—
(xviii)
information identifying, and a description of, the entity that will operate and manage the property;
(4)
Selection criteria
For an applicant to be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, the applicant and the applicant’s proposed program shall meet such selection criteria as the Secretary shall establish under this section, which shall include criteria relating to—
(C)
the need for an applicant’s proposed program, as determined by the degree of economic distress of the community from which participants would be recruited (measured by indicators such as poverty, youth unemployment, and the number of individuals who have dropped out of secondary school) and of the community in which the housing and public facilities proposed to be rehabilitated or constructed is located (measured by indicators such as incidence of homelessness, shortage of affordable housing, and poverty);
(D)
the commitment of an applicant to providing skills training, leadership development, and education to participants;
(E)
the focus of a proposed program on preparing youth for occupations in demand or postsecondary education and training opportunities;
(F)
the extent of an applicant’s coordination of activities to be carried out through the proposed program with local boards, one-stop operators, and one-stop partners participating in the operation of the one-stop delivery system involved, or the extent of the applicant’s good faith efforts in achieving such coordination;
(G)
the extent of the applicant’s coordination of activities with public education, criminal justice, housing and community development, national service, or postsecondary education or other systems that relate to the goals of the proposed program;
(H)
the extent of an applicant’s coordination of activities with employers in the local area involved;
(I)
the extent to which a proposed program provides for inclusion of tenants who were previously homeless individuals in the rental housing provided through the program;
(J)
the commitment of additional resources (in addition to the funds made available through the grant) to a proposed program by—
(d)
Use of housing units
Residential housing units rehabilitated or constructed using funds made available under subsection (c) shall be available solely—
(e)
Additional program requirements
(1)
Eligible participants
(A)
In general
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an individual may participate in a YouthBuild program only if such individual is—
(B)
Exception for individuals not meeting income or educational need requirements
Not more than 25 percent of the participants in such program may be individuals who do not meet the requirements of clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (A), but who—
(2)
Participation limitation
An eligible individual selected for participation in a YouthBuild program shall be offered full-time participation in the program for a period of not less than 6 months and not more than 24 months.
(3)
Minimum time devoted to educational services and activities
A YouthBuild program receiving assistance under subsection (c) shall be structured so that participants in the program are offered—
(4)
Authority restriction
No provision of this section may be construed to authorize any agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution (including a school) or school system, or over the selection of library resources, textbooks, or other printed or published instructional materials by any educational institution or school system.
(5)
State and local standards
All educational programs and activities supported with funds provided under subsection (c) shall be consistent with applicable State and local educational standards. Standards and procedures for the programs and activities that relate to awarding academic credit for and certifying educational attainment in such programs and activities shall be consistent with applicable State and local educational standards.
(f)
Management and technical assistance
(1)
Secretary assistance
The Secretary may enter into contracts with 1 or more entities to provide assistance to the Secretary in the management, supervision, and coordination of the program carried out under this section.
(2)
Technical assistance
(g)
Subgrants and contracts
Each recipient of a grant under subsection (c) to carry out a YouthBuild program shall provide the services and activities described in this section directly or through subgrants, contracts, or other arrangements with local educational agencies, postsecondary educational institutions, State or local housing development agencies, other public agencies, including agencies of Indian tribes, or private organizations.
(h)
Authorization of appropriations
[1] So in original. Probably should be “29”.
[2] So in original. The comma probably should not appear.