At-risk adolescents in San Diego will acquire leadership and job skills as they build and renovate affordable housing through a U.S Department of Labor grant that was awarded today to the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council’s training program.

 The $687,500 federal grant, known as YouthBuild, will allow the Labor Council to improve the lives of youth that hail from foster care, are out of school, or are rehabilitating from a past criminal involvement. The YouthBuild grant’s lifetime is two years.

 The program is designed to have participating youth learn on-the-job skills, earn academic credit, and create a pathway toward an apprenticeship in a skilled trade or higher education.

 The Labor Council’s training programs help achieves the San Diego labor movement’s vision of providing sustainable wages and career pathways for workers in the local community.

 For more information, on the Labor Council’s training program, contact Director of Training Sherry Rednour at (619) 283-5411.