Asheville, NC-based non-profit Green Opportunities (GO) has been awarded a YouthBuild grant by the U.S. Department of Labor.
GO is one of 77 programs from across the country to receive a YouthBuild grant this funding cycle.
The $910,655 three-year grant will allow GO to increase enrollment of 16-24 year old young adults in its building trades training program while constructing affordable housing in partnership with the Asheville Housing Authority.
“YouthBuild provides an unprecedented opportunity for GO to scale up our construction training program,” says J Hackett, Executive Director at GO. “These funds will accelerate GO’s efforts to build a strong, inclusive workforce in Asheville. We recognize that there is demand for skilled workers in the local construction industry, a real need for entry-level living wage jobs for young people in our community, and an affordable housing crisis. As a YouthBuild program, GO will become part of the solution to addressing all three challenges.”
GO’s construction and culinary training programs provide unemployed and under-employed residents of Asheville and Buncombe County with a combination of technical training, life skills training, industry-recognized credentials, GED instruction, and personalized support services.
GO’s construction trades training program is a NC Department of Commerce designated Pre-Apprenticeship program. GO was awarded YouthBuild USA Provisional Affiliate status in 2016.
According to the Department of Labor, “YouthBuild is a recognized pre-apprenticeship program that helps at-risk youth complete high school or state equivalency degree programs, earn industry-recognized certifications for in-demand occupations, and undergo training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities.” Read the full Department of Labor press release here.
GO is currently recruiting young adults ages 16-24 for its full-time YouthBuild training program, which will begin on October 9, 2017. GO will hold hour-long info sessions every Thursday in September at 12:00 pm at the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center, located at 133 Livingston Street in Asheville’s Southside neighborhood. To learn more, please visit www.greenopportunities.org.