Mrs. Laura Bush, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao and National Urban League President and CEO, Marc H. Morial announced a $20 million grant extension to the National Urban League's successful "Urban Youth Empowerment Program" to continue providing at-risk African American youth with job training, job placement and educational skills building.
The two-year, 2006-2008 grant will expand the program to enable Urban League affiliates to offer assistance, job training and job placement in the Gulf Coast region and Katrina impacted areas including New Orleans, LA., Houston, TX., Birmingham, AL., Austin, TX., Jackson, MS., Oklahoma City, OK., and Dallas, TX.
"The Department of Labor's extension of the grant will enable the Urban League affiliates to reach over 3,000 people; building on the successful skills building and jobs program that has given a second chance to at-risk young men and women in 15 communities across the country," said Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League.
"The expansion of this program to New Orleans and other populations impacted by Hurricane Katrina is critical as another step in rebuilding the lives of people in the Gulf Coast region."
Through the extension of the grant, the National Urban League will expand the Urban Youth Empowerment Program from 15 to 27 urban locations across the country.
At the sites, over 3,000 young men and women between the ages of 18 and 21; (18-24 years old in the Gulf Coast region), will receive intensive educational and remedial assistance to earn a GED or high school diploma, on- the-job skills development through faith based, community service organizations and private sector internships to help them prepare for full-time job placements in the private sector.
Initially funded by the Department of Labor in 2004 in fifteen Urban League affiliates, the "Urban Youth Empowerment Program" brought together the Urban League, federal workforce investment system and its local One-Stop Career Centers, state and local government, business, education and faith-based and community- based organizations.
The grants are being presented to faith- based and community organizations that can best reach youth who are currently involved with the court system or at risk of involvement.
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