Project Grant 23A60YB000018

THE FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION, INC. D B A AS PROJECT YOUTHBUILD (PYB) ISPROPOSING TO CONTINUE OPERATING PYB IN ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, AN URBAN GEOGRAPHY.THE TARGET COMMUNITY SERVICE AREA ENCOMPASSES THE FOLLOWING CONTIGUOUS ZIP CODES: 32601, 32603, 32609,32640, AND 32641.PYB IS REQUESTING 1,400,000 FOR THE PROJECTSERVING A MINIMUM OF 60 YOUTHAND PROVIDING OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND HEALTHCARE INDUSTRIES AS ACATEGORY A CONSTRUCTION PLUS RESPONDENT. THE TOTAL COST PER PARTICIPANT WILL BE 23,000. PYB HASSECURED 453,100 IN NON-FEDERAL, IN-KIND MATCH AND AN ADDITIONAL 161,614 IN LEVERAGED FUNDS.PYB HAS SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED UNDERSERVED YOUTH HELPED DEVELOP STATE-OF-THE-ART CONSTRUCTIONCURRICULUM PROVIDED EDUCATION AND TRAINING RESULTING IN MULTIPLE INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS,AND DEVELOPED PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS. AS AN EXISTING YOUTHBUILD PROVIDERYB-36456-21-60-A-12, THERE WILL BE NO RAMP-UP OR TRANSITION TIME NECESSARY, AND PROGRAMOPERATIONS MAY BEGIN IMMEDIATELY.ALACHUA COUNTY HAS MANY SIGNIFICANT FACTORS THAT MAKE IT UNUSUALLY DESERVING OF PYBSCONTINUATION. OUR POVERTY RATE IS HIGHER THAN THAT OF FLORIDA AND THE UNITED STATES. THEUNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR 16 24-YEAR-OLD INDIVIDUALS IS 30 HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.PROJECT YOUTHBUILD WILL BLEND AN APPROPRIATE MIX OF ACADEMIC EDUCATION WITH OCCUPATIONAL SKILLSDEVELOPMENT. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH SANTA FE COLLEGE (SFC) TO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONAND OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING. THE ALACHUA COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL PROVIDE WORKSITEACCESS FOR HANDS-ON CONSTRUCTION OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING. ACHA LEADERSHIP IS AWARE THATYOUTHBUILD PARTICIPANTS QUALIFY AS SECTION 3 WORKERS AND IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES FOR PROJECT YOUTHBUILD GRADUATES.GATORCNA WILL OVERSEE HEALTHCARE CERTIFICATION TRAINING AND WE HAVE HANDS-ON HEALTHCARETRAINING TAKING PLACE AT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HEALTH AND CVH HEALTH LOCATIONS. PENN FOSTER WILLPROVIDE A SELF-PACED, WEB-BASED HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA CURRICULUM, SUPPLEMENTED BY PYB ANDPARTNER STAFF INSTRUCTION. THIS EXPERIENCE WILL BUILD THE YOUTHS CONFIDENCE, WORK READINESS, ANDLEADERSHIP SKILLS.ENROLLED YOUTH WILL OBTAIN MULTIPLE CREDENTIALS BY PROGRAM EXIT. CREDENTIALS WILL CONSIST OFA HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED HEALTHCARE CERTIFICATES AND VARIOUS CONSTRUCTIONCERTIFICATES OFFERED THROUGH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. PYBWILL ALSO EXPOSE YOUTH TO ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION EVENTS DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE THEMTO THE POSSIBILITY OF OWNING AND RUNNING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. THE EXACT MIX AND TYPE OF TRAININGWILL BE BASED ON INITIAL AND ONGOING ASSESSMENTS OF YOUTH PROGRESS.PYB WILL LEVERAGE AMERICAN JOB CENTERS SERVICES WHERE YOUTH WILL BE CO-ENROLLED IN THEWIOA PROGRAM AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN PAID INTERNSHIPS, RECEIVE INDIVIDUALIZEDEMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT, AND JOB DEVELOPMENT TO OBTAINING FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT. YOUTH WILL ALSOHAVE ACCESS TO REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, MILITARY ENLISTMENT, AMERICORPS SERVICE ORENROLLMENT IN A POST-SECONDARY OCCUPATIONAL PATHWAY. FOLLOW-UP SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED FOR APERIOD OF AT LEAST 12 MONTHS POST-PROGRAM EXIT. AS DETAILED IN THIS SOLICITATION, PYBSACHIEVEMENTS ARE A TESTAMENT TO PYBS ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THIS VALUABLE COMMUNITYPROGRAM AND PROVIDE NEEDED OUTCOMES TO DISADVANTAGED AND LOW-INCOME YOUTH WITHIN ALACHUACOUNTY.