PORTLAND — LearningWorks, the city-based nonprofit providing services in Cumberland and York counties, has received a grant of just over $1 million from the U.S. Department of Labor for its Youth Building Alternatives program.

The grant was announced Aug. 24 in an agency press release.

“We are overjoyed to receive new funding for YBA. This program is often the last stop for young people who have profound needs and are struggling to make the transition to adulthood,” LearningWorks Executive Director Heather Davis said.

The program provides job training and classroom instruction for at-risk youth between the ages of 16 and 24, according to the press release. YBA members learn construction skills while working on affordable housing, working in partnerships with the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates program and Portland Housing Authority. There are about 210 similar programs in 40 states that serve 6,000 youth.


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