YouthBuild gets $15K from AT&T
United Way of Long Island’s YouthBuild Hempstead program has received a $15,000 donation from AT&T.
The YouthBuild program helps prepare young adults, ages 16-24, to find jobs and succeed in the workforce through educational, leadership and career training.
The funding from AT&T will help support 50 students towards gaining their TASC high school equivalency diplomas and maintaining routes to meaningful employment. It will also allow YouthBuild to transition to an online program model and provide internet access to students.
YouthBuild Long Island provides its participants with the technical and life skills needed to begin entry-level jobs that will lead to mid-skills careers.
Many YouthBuild graduates advance to additional trades training with United Way’s partner, Opportunities Long Island, where a significant portion of graduates have gained connections and moved on to apprenticeships and careers with local unions as ironworkers, electricians, plumbers and carpenters. Other YouthBuild alumni have gone on to succeed as nursing assistants, home health aides, licensed practical nurses and college graduates.
“Training for stable, good-paying jobs is critical to helping young people from low-income communities find upward mobility,” Amy Kramer, president for New York, AT&T, said in a written statement. “AT&T is honored to support the United Way of Long Island’s YouthBuild Hempstead program in its work to provide men and women on Long Island with the skills and credentials they need to advance their careers.”
Jenette Adams, United Way of Long Island’s YouthBuild Program director, said the support from AT&T has allowed the program to remain active during the pandemic.
“During this challenging time, students were able to receive the benefits of a Mental Toughness Bootcamp, which is a key component of the program providing students with a strong foundation on which to succeed,” Adams said in the statement.
