United Way of Long Island gets $1M Department of Labor grant for youth
United Way of Long Island has received a $1.1 million federal grant to help at-risk youth in Hempstead obtain high school equivalency degrees and provide them with a job-training program.
The money — part of the $85 million the U.S. Department of Labor awarded to YouthBuild programs in 32 states — will support about 70 students in the Village of Hempstead and neighboring communities over two years, said Theresa Regnante, United Way of Long Island’s president and chief executive officer.
YouthBuild, a division of United Way Long Island, is an educational program and alternative school for those 18 to 24 years old in low-income families who are looking to learn a trade.
“Most students come to us without high school diplomas,” Regnante said. “While we help them with that, we also help them build vocational skills.”
Once students pass the national high school equivalency exam, known as Test Assessing Secondary Completion, they go on to college or enter a vocational program, said Regnante.
Students will earn industry-recognized credentials in the areas of manufacturing, health care, construction, transportation, and medical billing, she said.
