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ETA News Release: [07/22/2004]
Contact Name: Lorette
Post
Phone Number: (202) 693-3984
U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $2.76
Million Grant for Hispanic Youth
ORLANDO, Fla.—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today
announced a $2.76 million grant to help at-risk Hispanic youth in Orlando and
four other cities across the country.
“Today I am pleased to announce a $2.76 million grant to Esperanza
USA to help at-risk Hispanic youths get training to find good-paying
jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “Esperanza USA
will partner with faith-based and community groups here in Orlando and other
cities across the country and provide access to training and employment
services to help these young people build job skills.”
The grant will provide education and training services to Hispanic youth
already involved with the criminal justice system or at-risk of involvement.
The funds will serve 600 youth, 120 in each of five locations—Orlando,
Miami, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.
Esperanza USA will use the grant to build a network of faith-based and
community organizations, the local public workforce investment system, the
juvenile justice system and the business community. The network will ensure
that targeted Hispanic youth receive education, workforce development and
supportive services that lead to productive lives. The funds will also be used
to enhance the capacity of faith-based and community organizations to continue
to meet the career needs of at-risk and adjudicated Hispanic youth.
Secretary Chao also noted that the job prospects for Hispanic youth in
Florida are strong. With a new state unemployment rate of 4.7 percent released
this week, Florida is well under the national unemployment average. This
week’s new number also represents a significant improvement over the state
unemployment rate of 5.3 percent a year ago.
“These positive employment statistics are proof that the
President’s pro-growth economic policies are working and helping people to
find good jobs in Florida and across the country,” Secretary Chao said.
“The key to getting a good job is to help Hispanic young people get the
training and employment services they need.”
In addition to today’s grant to help at-risk Hispanic youth, the
U.S. Labor Department earlier this year inaugurated a new
Hispanic Worker
Initiative. Currently, the Labor Department’s Employment and
Training Administration is funding unique, industry-driven demonstration
projects through the President’s High Growth Job Training
Initiative. These include Hispanic workers in their overall service
strategy. The department will continue to explore more innovative projects that
address the identified workforce challenges of Hispanic Americans.
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