PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2025
For more information, contact:
Emily Nicholson, Executive Director, Land of Sky P20 Council
emilyn@landofsky.org or 252.916.2678
The U.S. Department of Labor recently awarded $1,500,000 to Land of Sky Regional Council for a grant in the YouthBuild program, which will support training and employment services to prepare and equip young workers for quality jobs. The Land of Sky P20 Council, for which Land of Sky Regional Council serves as the fiscal agent, will administer the grant. The YouthBuild program follows a pre-apprenticeship model, providing underserved youth ages 16-24 with educational guidance, industry skills training, and support services such as transportation assistance, provision of work attire, healthcare referrals, and childcare. YouthBuild program participants will split their time between classroom instruction and workplace training, preparing them for gainful employment and successful careers.
Land of Sky Regional Council will execute the YouthBuild program CORE-2 (Construction Opportunities in Rural and Urban Environments) via two sub-awardee programs. Camp Grier’s WORX Project will provide a rural skills training site to build one modular housing unit to be used as a long-term, below-market rate rental. Hood Huggers will provide an urban site at the future Blue Note Junction where participants will work on a 32-unit affordable housing project. Both sub-awardees have linkages to accredited training providers for education, credentials required for Registered Apprenticeships (RAPs), industry-recognized certifications, and direct placement into employment. CORE-2 will simultaneously prepare young people to acquire the skills and training needed to successfully enter the workforce while providing affordable housing to community members in need.
The YouthBuild program grant is set to start on February 1, 2025, and will run for 36 months, including 24 months of active programming and a 12-month follow-up period. This grant will have a project director, which will soon be open for applications on this site: https://www.landofsky.org/employment.html. In addition, if you or someone you know may be interested in being a part of this program as a prospective participant, please scan the QR code below or click the following link to fill out the interest form so that you can be reached when the program launches: https://bit.ly/wncyouth
