LOWELL – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined Community Teamwork, Inc. leaders in Lowell Tuesday to celebrate $1.5 million in federal funding awarded to the organization’s YouthBuild program, which provides educational and vocational training to at-risk youth to help prepare them for careers in construction and the culinary arts.
“For the past 25 years, Community Teamwork’s YouthBuild program has helped at-risk young adults in Lowell and across the region develop the skills, certifications, and experience necessary to start good-paying careers,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “This significant federal award is a testament to the success of YouthBuild Lowell and its team of instructors, but what’s most impressive to me is their focus on experience through service. Each year, YouthBuild students dedicate thousands of hours to community service projects that allow them to hone the skills they’ve learned while giving back to our community. That’s the kind of initiative that we should be investing in – one that’s good for our young people, our community, and our economy.”
“We are thrilled to receive this recent funding for our YouthBuild Program from the Department of Labor, and are grateful for the support of Congresswoman Trahan who helped secure this award,” said Karen Frederick, Chief Executive Officer of Community Teamwork. “This funding will allow us to serve at risk, low-income unemployed youth in our community, who have been unsuccessful in traditional educational settings, by helping them to earn their HiSet and learn occupational skillsets which will improve their chances of becoming gainfully employed. It is a program which includes working with many partners in our community, and highlights the very best of public-private partnerships.”
Thanks in part to Trahan’s advocacy, Community Teamwork is receiving $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workforce Investment’s Division of Youth Services to support its YouthBuild program, which since 1999 has provided students who dropped out of school or are in need of a second chance with access to workforce development opportunities. The program offers HiSET and GED preparation, computer and financial literacy training, and a post-secondary transition program while also ensuring access to case management and counseling services to help students overcome personal challenges such as substance abuse, mental health issues, housing and food insecurity, and more.
“We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Trahan and the Department of Labor for their continued support of our YouthBuild Program,” said Carl Howell, Chief Program Officer and incoming CEO of Community Teamwork. “This funding will strengthen over 120 young adults to not only attain their high school diploma and career certifications but also inspire them into leaders who give back to their community. Through tens of thousands of hours of service, these young people are actively improving the neighborhoods they call home. Their transformation is a powerful example of how investing in youth strengthens the future of our community.”
During their time in Community Teamwork’s YouthBuild program, students learn the skills they need to succeed in the construction and culinary arts industries while giving back to their community. Construction students learn carpentry and construction skills by completing the National Center for Construction Education and Research curriculum, earning trade certificates, and working on Habitat for Humanity projects in the area. Culinary students begin by completing their 10-hour on-site OSHA Safety Course and then receive ServSafe Manager Training, Allergen Awareness Training, and the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Ready Certification. Students gain practical culinary experience and valuable certifications while operating a full-service catering company that partners with local organizations to fight food insecurity.
Over the past two years at YouthBuild Lowell, students have passed 168 individual HiSET tests while completing more than 150 construction and culinary certifications. In total, students completed more than 26,000 hours of community service, including 23,505 meals cooked for students and community members, 8 softball dugouts built in community parks, 6 Habitat for Humanity homes constructed, 300 cubbies built for the Lowell Boys & Girls Club, and 4 larger community projects built in partnership with the City of Lowell.
During her time in Congress, Trahan has championed efforts to expand access to valuable apprenticeship opportunities. She introduced the Apprenticeship Support for Small Employers and Teams (ASSET) Act to provide grants to small- and medium-sized businesses to encourage their participation in the national apprenticeship system, which has a strong track record of success with 94 percent of apprentices employed upon completion of their program and an average starting wage of above $70,000 annually.
