DEQUEEN, AR –The U.S. Department of Labor announced earlier this year that they were awarding $85 million to support and expand YouthBuild programs across the country. YouthBuild provides at-risk youth, ages 16-24, with education and occupational skill development to obtain employment in construction and other in-demand industries.
UA Cossatot was one of the awardees, obtaining a Youthbuild grant totaling $844,000 to provide local at-risk youth in Sevier, Howard, Little River, and Pike counties the opportunity to learn industrial maintenance and construction skills that lead to good jobs and better housing for the area.
According to UA Cossatot Chancellor, Dr. Steve Cole, “Being awarded the Youthbuild grant is pretty incredible. This is only the second such program in Arkansas and we think this will be a game-changer for at-risk youth in our area that need to sharpen their skills. The bonus to this program is that the participants of the program develop these skills at no cost to them, and we provide money for supportive services as well. These services can range from anything like child care, to car expenses”.
“Youthbuild focuses on job training and education and while the students are learning, they are also renovating low income housing, which is a win-win for the area”, says Cole.
UA Cossatot has already hired three new staff members to assist students in applying for and training within the Youthbuild program. While the program has not officially started their first courses, they are ramping up operations quickly and should welcome their first cohort of students sometime this fall. For more information about the Youthbuild program at UA Cossatot, please email Jennifer Black at jblack@cccua.edu, or call UA Cossatot at 870-584-4471.
