YMCA gets $1M job-training grant
The Flushing YMCA just got a little more flush with cash.
Congressman Gary Ackerman announced last week that he helped secure a $1 million federal grant for the YMCA in Flushing. The money will be used for the YMCA’s award-winning YouthBuild program, an initiative that provides educational training and occupational skills to at-risk youth in Queens.
Based locally at the Flushing YMCA, 138-46 Northern Boulevard, this nationwide program helps at-risk youth ages 16-24 earn their high school diplomas or GEDs, while training them for jobs in the construction industry. Under the program, young people who are out-of-school and/or unemployed receive on-the-job training by building and renovating single and multi-family homes in their community.
Once completed, the homes are sold at affordable prices to low-income individuals and their families, as well as to those who are homeless. The program has a very high success rate, with many participants going on to college or obtaining high-wage private-sector positions in the building industry.
The money will allow the YMCA in Flushing to continue the program for 70 young men and women over the next two years.
"By helping young adults earn their GED and learn valuable job skills, YouthBuild reflects a unique blend of the YMCA's commitment to nurturing the potential of young people and fostering a sense of responsibility for self and others," said Jack Lund, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York.
As part of the program, the Flushing YMCA maintains strong relationships with more than fifty community organizations, schools and businesses in the area. The YMCA has worked closely with New York City’s GED Plus program, the City University of New York and vocational schools such as the ASA Institute.
Queens Workforce 1 Career Center helps provide training, job placement and employment counseling, and local employers such as Macy’s, Modell’s and others contribute to the curriculum and hire program participants.
