U.S. Department of Labor Award Supports Agency’s Delivery of Training, Employment Services to Young People for High Demand Careers
WEST PALM BEACH, FL (June 7, 2023) – The Palm Beach County Housing Authority (PBCHA) announces it is the recipient of a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild grant to provide training and employment services to young people. PBCHA is one of five organizations in Florida to receive a 2022 YouthBuild grant. The grant supports the expansion of registered apprenticeships, prepares young workers for good quality jobs, and strengthens the nation’s workforce to meet industry demands.
“The YouthBuild grant will help us provide the education and training needed to prepare young people facing barriers for good quality jobs and to help them be successful,” said PBCHA Executive Director Carol Jones-Gilbert. “We thank the Labor Department for this award and appreciate the in-kind commitments of our generous community partners. The grant will help us open doors to opportunity and housing, while changing lives for the better.”
The YouthBuild grant enables PBCHA to support pre-apprenticeships that educate and train young people ages 16 – 24, who have been disadvantaged by the system and are neither in the labor market nor enrolled in school, for careers in high-demand industries including construction, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing and logistics, culinary arts, and hospitality. YouthBuild participants divide their time between classroom instruction, where they earn their high school diploma or equivalency degree, and workplace training to prepare for post-secondary opportunities.
Reinforcing PBCHA’s mission as a dedicated housing provider, the YouthBuild award has the potential to create more housing opportunities for Palm Beach County families. The construction pre-apprenticeships would provide education and training to enable and empower students to use their abilities to build or rehabilitate affordable housing for the county’s low-income or unhoused families.
YouthBuild students would support the future construction of Legacy@45th Street, a 48-unit multifamily development at 3430 45th Street, West Palm Beach, the site of the former PBCHA office. The SPECTRA Organization, Inc., an affiliate of PBCHA, is undertaking the $15.5 million project, which is currently in the planning stage. YouthBuild training will emphasize green building techniques, an understanding of sustainable building materials, solar panel installation, weatherization processes, and Energy Star appliance usage.
The grant period runs June 1, 2023 – September 30, 2026. Program implementation is scheduled for this summer. Interested participants are encouraged to visit the PBCHA website for future program registration or participation information.
PBCHA appreciates the generous support of its community partners in Palm Beach County who, in response to a grant requirement, committed a combined $900,200 of in-kind services. These valued partners include Belle Glade Housing Authority, CareerSource Palm Beach County, Children’s Home Society, Families First of Palm Beach County, Hatcher Construction & Development, Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., Movico Loop, LLC, Morell’s View Construction, Mueller Construction, Palm Beach County Community Services, Palm Beach County Public Safety Department, Restoration Bridge, SOMA Medical Center, StaarTech Cybersecurity, The Glades Initiative, Inc., United Way of Palm Beach County, and Vita Nova, Inc.
“The YouthBuild grants will strengthen the nation’s workforce. They will also make sure young people have access to the training and skills they need for good quality jobs, made possible by the historic investments by Biden-Harris’ administration to rebuild our nation,” announced Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Brent Parton. “These investments will also help meet the demands of employers in high-demand industries as they seek to expand their workforces.”
The 2022 YouthBuild grants, totaling $93 million in amounts ranging between $700,000 and $1.5 million, were awarded to 68 organizations in 32 states. YouthBuild grants are administered by the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration and supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In August, the Labor Department added the YouthBuild program to the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are overburdened by pollution. Learn more about the YouthBuild program.
Located at 3333 Forest Hill Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida, PBCHA advocates for those who need housing and strives to provide Palm Beach County residents with affordable housing options, self-sufficiency programs, and leadership opportunities. The agency is committed to providing quality living environments through new and existing housing developments. To contact PBCHA, call 561-684-2160 or visit the website at pbchafl.org.
