$1.5 million grant will help at-risk youth in Elgin train for careers in construction
More than 60 at-risk kids in Elgin will have chances for brighter futures thanks to a $1.5 million grant awarded to the Housing Authority of Elgin.
The Housing Authority was one of 68 organizations in the country and the only one in the suburbs to receive a YouthBuild grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
“This is a unique opportunity, an important opportunity for Elgin to provide a better tomorrow for these kids,” said Housing Authority of Elgin CEO Martell Armstrong.
The grants support pre-apprenticeships that will educate and train young people ages 16 to 24, who are neither enrolled in school nor in the labor market, for jobs in high-demand industries.
“We're looking at disadvantaged kids, at-risk youth, kids who dropped out of school or might have strayed in their path and are interested in doing bigger and better things in life,” Armstrong said. “Hopefully, this will be an instrument to help them achieve that.”
It's the first time the Housing Authority of Elgin has received the grant. Nationwide, $90 million in grants were awarded, ranging from $700,000 to $1.5 million each.
YouthBuild grants can be used to teach vocational skills in industries like construction, health care, information technology and hospitality. Participants split time between vocational training and working in a classroom to earn their GED.
Armstrong said the Elgin program will focus on construction skills. The kids also will have access to wraparound services, including counseling, mentorship, legal services, mental health services, and résumé building.
Participants will be required to work on one unit of affordable housing for low-income or homeless families in Elgin while in the program.
After completion, graduates will be provided with job placement assistance or help to find a permanent apprenticeship.
Armstrong said the Housing Authority will work with Elgin's Youth Empowerment Program and other agencies like the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin to identify candidates.
The organization is now working on putting infrastructure in place to run the program. It already has commitments from about a dozen community partners who will help facilitate the program and is searching for more. Participants will work on their GEDs in space provided by Elgin Community College and do their job training classes at the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin.
The 40-month grant period will allow the group to break the program down into three separate cohorts, each with about 20 participants.
The group plans to be up and running by October. Once the grant period officially starts June 1, it will look to hire a program director, a job developer and a case manager.
“Those positions are going to be key to planning everything and directing our vision,” he said.
While running such a program might not seem like the domain of an organization known for issuing housing subsidies, Armstrong said it's in line with his mission. “We want to give people pathways out of poverty or pathways so that they can better themselves if they choose,” he said. “Housing authorities have that capacity.”
The housing authority already runs several other programs aimed at helping people out of poverty, including the Family Self-Sufficiency program, a college scholarship program and a homeownership initiative.
YouthBuild currently serves more than 5,000 youth in approximately 175 YouthBuild programs in more than 40 states.
“I am ecstatic about this opportunity, and we look to leverage it even further in the future to garner more grants and to make a bigger impact in the community,” Armstrong said.