Isles YouthBuild Institute in Mercer County, N.J. will provide educational, vocational, and leadership skill training for at-risk youths over a 40-month period with the help of a U.S. Department of Labor grant for Isles Incorporated totaling $1,099,643, announced U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today.
To make the program more effective, Isles will partner with the College of New Jersey, Mercer County Community College, the Trenton Board of Education, Habitat for Humanity, the Mercer County Workforce Investment Board, and many other nonprofit organizations.
“The Isles YouthBuild Institute will be providing a cutting-edge curriculum for students who have dropped out of mainstream education,” said Smith, who has supported funding for the Mercer County-based Isles YouthBuild programs since their inception in 1996. “The program is an extremely effective re-entry tool. The Isles Youthbuild Institute agenda will allow students to obtain hands-on opportunities by participating in neighborhood construction projects.”
Smith asked Assistant Secretary of Labor Jane Oates of the Labor Department’s Employment Training Administration to fund the grant. The students will also be provided with extensive job readiness and placement training. Click here to read Smith’s letter to Oates.
“Having worked closely with Isles for over 30-years on numerous projects, including its effective YouthBuild program, I am confident funds expended on program for at-risk youth will significantly improve the lives of the expected 70 new students,” Smith said.
Since 1996 the Isles YouthBuild program has graduated over 700 students.
YouthBuild is a U.S. Department of Labor workforce and community development program that serves youth between the ages of 16 to 24. The target population for YouthBuild is high school dropouts who may be youth aging out of foster care, youth with disabilities, adjudicated youth, or other at-risk populations. Participants receive an opportunity to gain industry-recognized credentials in the construction trade.
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