Grant program aims to open career paths for youth

A NEW state-supported online apprenticeship clearing-house hopes to match young people with appealing on-the-job training courses that offer stipends and a path to a decent career.

"The overall objective of this grant, the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship grant, COYA for short, is to develop and test innovative practices around how do we increase participation of opportunity youth in pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs," explained Adele Burns of the California Department of Industrial Relations.

There are opportunities across a spectrum of industries.

"Health care education, advanced manufacturing, fire trades, arts, media and entertainment, tech and more," Burns said.

Several recent grants are going to help businesses, nonprofits and other entities envision and create training programs, but a few are already up and running.

"One is Love Never Fails. This is an organization that's offering, what they are calling an IT Biz Tech Academies," Burns said.

One program will offer 42 people training, a stipend and supportive services....in the tech space....

"So, tech project management, help desk technician, IT support specialist, program manager, project manager, those kind of roles in tech. The organization Love Never Fails serves victims and survivors of human trafficking and other high risk populations," Burns said.

Those entering the program will receive support.

"It's a five month program that introduces these underserved individuals to technology careers, through a victim-centered, and culturally sensitive and trauma informed approach," Burns said.

The California Department of Industrial Relations also announced several grants to organizations to build new apprenticeship programs

Those include the Health Education Council, to train community health workers like promotore in Santa Rosa

and to Dive Into Science to create programs to train youths for positions as marine science research technicians.