Valencia College has received a $1.5 million dollar grant from the federal government aimed at bringing a program that helps students get their GED and jobs skills training to Orange County.
The YouthBuild program in Osceola County already helps kids ages 16 to 24, who don’t have a high school diploma, earn their GED while training for their future career.
But now with the three-year, $1.5 million dollar grant from the Labor Department, the program will be able to expand into Orange County, helping about 70 students in its first year.
Bridget Valle, Valencia College's YouthBuild director said simply put, the traditional high school route isn’t always a good fit for every student. That’s where YouthBuild comes in.
“This provides a really good alternative for some students that may have not been successful for one reason or another in that setting and we hope that they can find success in our program,” Valle said.
The new YouthBuild program will be housed at the Valencia College Heart of Florida United Way Center for Accelerated Training in downtown Orlando.
Valle said the focus of the career preparation part of the program in Orange County will be on construction.
“So our students will get construction training skills, they will get hands-on training, they will get paid internships, ultimately with the goal of them finding employment in that field or entering into additional trade programs or some kind of post-secondary education,” Valle said.
So far, 92% of students who complete the program earn their GED and 75% find full-time work.
