Workforce Pathways for Youth - Rounds 4 and 5
This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that help underserved youth aged 14-21 develop workforce skills and access good job pathways through partnerships with schools and community programs.
The Workforce Pathways for Youth (WPY) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is designed to expand workforce readiness for underserved youth ages 14-21 through partnerships with national out-of-school time (OST) organizations. This funding opportunity (FOA-ETA-24-07) provides up to $40 million across two rounds, with each round funding up to seven grants of $3.3 million each. Round 4 applications are due by July 15, 2024, and Round 5 applications are accepted between October 1 and December 3, 2024, contingent upon available funds. Each project funded under this grant will support three years of programming. The purpose of the WPY grants is to align workforce development with schools and OST programs to create pathways to good jobs, as defined by the Good Jobs Principles, which prioritize stable and equitable employment opportunities. Programs must focus on career exploration, workforce readiness, work-based learning experiences, and related supportive services, such as career counseling and work placements. Additionally, projects are encouraged to address youth mental health needs by providing resources and partnerships that support mental health and reduce stigma, particularly given the high demand for mental health services across the U.S. Eligible applicants are nonprofit national OST organizations with 501(c)(3) status, serving at least three states and historically marginalized youth. This includes but is not limited to Black, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, disabled, foster, homeless, and justice-impacted youth. Projects must also serve at least two non-contiguous geographic areas, with each location meeting specific service requirements, and include partnerships with workforce development boards, employers or industry groups, and state or local education agencies. Optional partners may include colleges, mental health organizations, and community groups supporting underserved youth. Applications must include a project narrative, budget forms (SF-424 and SF-424A), and attachments such as a logic model, partnership agreements, and an organizational chart. The project narrative should address needs assessment, target population demographics, expected outcomes, partnership structure, scalability, sustainability plans, and budget justification. The budget narrative must detail line-item costs and include any leveraged resources, though matching funds are not required. Each application is evaluated on several criteria, including project design and logic model, OST partnership structure, recruitment strategy for underserved youth, provision of supportive services, and capacity to manage funds and report progress. Additionally, bonus points are available for programs specifically supporting Native American youth or creating career pathways in mental health. Applicants must submit proposals via Grants.gov, adhering to the specified format and ensuring the proposal’s consistency across all sections. Only one application per organization is permitted, and priority will be given to projects aligning with the WPY’s focus on equity and mental health.
Award Range
Not specified - $3,300,000
Total Program Funding
$40,000,000
Number of Awards
14
Matching Requirement
No
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
The applicant must be a national OST non-profit (501(c)(3)) organization, that proposes to serve youth that have been historically underserved and marginalized. This includes Black, Latino, and Indigenous persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality; in addition to youth with barriers to employment including, but not limited to, foster youth, parenting youth, homeless youth, and youth who are justice impacted. For purposes of this FOA, a national organization is defined as an organization that has affiliates operating in at least three states. Note that while the organization must be a national OST organization, the applicant has the option to select the geographic scope (statewide or multi-state; please refer to section 1.I.B: Program Authority, Geographic Scope) in which it chooses to operate this grant. An OST organization is a non-profit that operates a supervised program that young people regularly attend when school is not in session. This can include before- and after- school programs on a school campus or at facilities located outside of a school campus such as academic programs (e.g., reading or math focused programs), specialty programs (e.g., STEM, arts enrichment), and multipurpose programs that provide an array of activities.Applicants which received funding from the FY 2023 Workforce Pathways for Youth grant [FOA-ETA-23-06] are not eligible to participate in this competition and their applications will be considered non-responsive. Eligibility will be determined based on applicants' Employer Identification Numbers.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
May 14, 2024
Application Closes
December 3, 2024
Grantor
US Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration)
Subscribe to view contact details