Youth Workforce Readiness Act of 2025

This legislation would create federal grants to support after-school, weekend, and summer programs that help young people get ready for work. Programs would offer career exploration and real work experience, like internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, and on-the-job training. They would also provide long-term mentoring, counseling, financial literacy, and other supports. Some programs could help students earn industry-recognized credentials linked to in-demand jobs.

Only national youth-serving organizations with chapters in at least 35 states could apply, and grants would run for 3–5 years. Programs must reach both urban and rural areas, use safe, easy-to-reach sites, coordinate with other public programs, and serve underserved communities; grantees may pass funds to local partners. Results must be tracked (like school attendance, grades, program attendance, and, for high schoolers, completing internships or graduating). The Department of Labor would review programs and publish public reports. The bill authorizes $100 million per year from 2026 through 2030 and also brings back youth councils inside each local workforce board to elevate youth input in local and state plans and reports.

• Who is affected: teens 15 and older (with younger youth included in age-appropriate ways), national youth-serving organizations and their local partners, employers, and local workforce boards.
• What changes: new competitive grants for out-of-school programs that teach job skills, provide work experiences and mentoring, and may lead to credentials; required tracking and public reporting; reestablished local youth councils.
• When: grants last 3–5 years; funding is authorized for 2026–2030.