GODFREY – The U.S. Department of Labor announced this week that Lewis and Clark Community College is the recipient of a $1.1 million YouthBuild Grant – one of only five awarded in the state.
YouthBuild is a program which helps out-of-school youths (ages 16-24) receive pre-apprentice certificate training and GEDs, while training for careers in health, construction, welding or technology fields.
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“Building Futures expands Lewis and Clark’s services to young people who normally would not pursue education,” Director of Adult Education Val Harris said. “It appeals to them because it is hands-on and tangible.”
The program will impact the lives of more than 64 local young people over the next two years. These participants will receive extensive student support, which includes help from a professional counselor and two case managers.
While focusing on training, leadership and career development, community service and job or college placement, program mentors not only guide young people through preparation for college or work, but also follow up with those students after placement.
Students will attend a three-week “Mental Toughness” orientation to ensure that they understand program culture, goals and expectations. After the orientation, students will engage in training for 10 to 12 months, with an additional year of follow up.
Skills covered during the program will include safety, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, landscaping, facilities maintenance, painting, finishing and weatherization. Green skills will be woven throughout, Harris said.
“Students who complete the program create an internal change for the better and then apply it outward, which positively impacts their communities,” Lewis and Clark Community College President Dale Chapman said. “This project will continue to foster the development of leaders who will be empowered to physically create positive change in their own communities while bettering themselves and the lives of their families.”
The college was previously awarded a YouthBuild grant in the amount of $810,000 in 2009. Chapman said this second grant speaks to the quality of instruction and counseling the Lewis and Clark Adult Education Program provides students, and added that the recent grant will further foster Lewis and Clark’s impact on students and the communities it serves.
For more information about Building Futures, or any other L&C program, visit www.lc.edu
