WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressmen Darin LaHood (IL-18) and Rodney Davis (IL-13) announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded $1.1 million in grant funding for YouthBuild McLean County, in Normal, Illinois. The YouthBuild Grant investment is part of the DOL’s expanded Construction Plus model, which will allow YouthBuild McLean County to offer training for locally in-demand industries in addition to the required programs. YouthBuild is an education and training program with a strong pre-apprenticeship component that helps at-risk youth complete high school or state equivalency degree programs, earn industry-recognized credentials for in-demand occupations, and undergo training to build housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families in their communities.
 
“YouthBuild McLean County provides critical educational programs for underprivileged youth in our community and this investment from the U.S. Department of Labor will ensure they can prepare students to meet the unique challenges locally in McLean County,” stated Rep. LaHood. “Having visited YouthBuild McLean County and witnessing firsthand the effects this program has on our youth, I will continue to advocate strongly on behalf of the good work they do and look forward to their continued success in educating at-risk individuals in the Bloomington-Normal community.”
 
"YouthBuild in McLean County provides great opportunities for students through its unique curriculum and this grant will help support and expand the program," said Davis. "YouthBuild helps at-risk kids learn valuable construction, IT, or CNA skills they can use to find meaningful employment as well as get their G.E.D. It not only helps them in the classroom, but it also provides support services to make sure these kids have a smooth transition into future jobs. I am proud to support YouthBuild and I look forward to seeing these young people succeed in the workforce."
 
In 2018, Reps. LaHood and Davis wrote a letter in support of U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild Program funding for Fiscal Year 2019 to the House Committee on Appropriations. You can read the letter here.
 
YouthBuild McLean County:
Founded in 1994, YouthBuild McLean County is a year-round charter school program for over 70 students in McLean County between the ages of 16 and 24. The program provides at-risk youth or students who struggles in traditional high schools with an alternative path, providing them expanded support, job skills training, and opportunities to get involved in the community.