Birmingham, AL — Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a $1.5 million YouthBuild Grant to the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD). The new funding will be used to expand job training and educational services for Birmingham youth and prepare young workers for high-demand careers.

“This is a big win for the City of Birmingham,” said Rep. Sewell. “The Magic City YouthBuild Program equips our young people with the skills and experiences they need to get ahead in a competitive workforce. This award will help us expand pathways to career-readiness while providing opportunities for our young people to give back to their communities. I am so grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for continuing to invest in the City of Birmingham.”

“We are honored to receive this grant for a second term to continue the efforts of significantly enhancing our initiatives, creating even more opportunities for young people to develop critical skills, gain valuable work experience, and build a brighter future,” said Dontrelle Young Foster, President and CEO of HABD. “With this, we are empowered to impact the lives of youth in our community and to further our vision of being mission focused, service driven.”

YouthBuild is a community-based pre-apprenticeship program that provides job training and educational services for opportunity youth ages 16-24 who left school without a secondary diploma.

Participants learn vocational skills in construction, as well as in other in-demand industries including healthcare, information technology, and hospitality. Participants also provide community service through the required construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing for low-income or homeless families in their own neighborhoods.

Administered by the Office of Workforce Investment's Division of Youth Services, YouthBuild serves more than 5,000 youth in approximately 200 YouthBuild programs in more than 40 states.

###