DAS Announces $16 Million in Available Funding to Expand Youth Apprenticeships Across California
Earlier this week, California Labor & Workforce Development Agency Labor Secretary Stewart Knox joined Governor Gavin Newsom during a fireside chat and press conference to unveil the California Jobs First economic blueprint. Part of the Jobs First economic blueprint includes $16 million in available funding for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs for young people ages 16-24 through the second round of the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) grant. The COYA grant is transformative funding designed to uplift young people – particularly those who are at risk of disconnection or are disconnected from the education system or employment, unhoused, in the child welfare, juvenile justice, or criminal legal systems, living in concentrated poverty, or are facing barriers to labor market participation.
The COYA grant invests in Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (IACA) and fire trades connected apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs that offer young people a direct onramp and access to high-paying careers in industries like:
🔷 Healthcare
🔷 Education
🔷 Advanced Manufacturing
🔷 Information technology
🔷 Public Sector
🔷 Fire Trades
🔷 Transportation, and more
How to Apply:
- Review the detailed solicitation for proposals guidelines and eligibility on the DAS COYA webpage.
- Proposals and all required attachments in the designated formats must be submitted by April 10, 2025, 12:00 pm PST
For more information, read the full DIR news release here and CA Governor Newsom’s press release here.
Questions?
- All questions must be emailed to DASGrantUnit@dir.ca.gov by March 15, 2025
- 📅 Join DAS on March 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. PST for an informational Q&A webinar where submitted questions will be addressed. Register Here
February 2025