The State of Oregon, acting by and through its Department of Education, (“Agency”), on behalf of Youth Development Division (“YDD”) is issuing this Request for Grant Applications (“RFA”) known as the Job and Work Readiness Grant (“JWR”).
Donor Name: Youth Development Division
State: Oregon
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/23/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The purpose of the grant is to deliver job and work readiness programming and services to youth ages 16–24 who are out-of-school, unemployed or underemployed, reengaged, and/or have demonstrated barriers to education and workforce access, in order to increase training and support so they can develop foundational skills, complete their education, and be positioned for living-wage career opportunities and long-term self-sufficiency.
The YDD Job and Work Readiness Grant is intended to address historic inequity and disparities in educational and work readiness resources and outcomes, through the provision of quality youth development programming, including access to high school completion, Essential Employability Skills training, support during post-secondary transitions into training, internships, Apprenticeships, Industry-Recognized Credentials, and/or Paid Work Experiences. Through the Job and Work Readiness Grant Projects, YDD intends for youth participants to become increasingly capable of obtaining a job and having subsequent and more advanced training or education that prepares them for future opportunities to thrive in the workforce, so that they can be self-sufficient and ultimately self-actualized. YDD’s programs focus on youth with demonstrated need, particularly youth who are disconnected from school, face complex individual barriers to post-secondary transitions, and/or are employed in jobs that do not have a clear path to living-wage opportunities. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how proposed Projects actively and effectively serve Youth Furthest from Opportunity.
The Job and Work Readiness Grant supports community-based youth development efforts to develop skills that lead to and improve employment readiness. The goals of the Job and Work Readiness Grant are to:
- Support healthy youth development and skill-building for work readiness and success in living-wage careers;
- Support efforts to reduce disparities in educational and workforce success;
- Reduce youth disconnection from school and/or work;
- Remove barriers to job and work training;
- Increase job, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities for youth; and
- Encourage multi-sector collaboration to improve outcomes for youth.
Funding Information
Grants awarded to eligible entities will range from $100,000 – $300,000.
Grant Period
The initial term of each Grant is anticipated to be 2 years from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for a Grant under this RFA, Applicants must deliver all Grant-funded services to youth in Oregon and be one of the following eligible entities:
- One of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon
- A nonprofit organization
- A faith-based organization
- A public benefit companies
- A mutual benefit corporation
- An Oregon community college, education service district, public school district, or public school
- A county or city, or a county or city governmental entity in Oregon.
- An Applicant must have an active registration with the Oregon Secretary of State’s business registry that matches the organization type selected in the Application.
- A school, school district, or Education Service District in this State may apply if their program is in partnership with a Community Based Organization or employer that will be directly providing Paid Work Experiences and/or Industry-Recognized Credentialing to participants.
For more information, visit YDD.
