California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) Grant

The California Department of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) launched the CA Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) grant program. California community colleges and our state agency partners are preparing the next generation workforce for the careers of the future that will drive our innovation economy and create social and economic mobility.

Partners are developing and testing innovative practices that prepare opportunity youth with the skills necessary for today’s job market and to demonstrate the impact of apprenticeship on employment and earnings outcomes for opportunity youth. Stay tuned to learn more about program partners.

Grant Target Population

Opportunity youth are 16 to 24 years of age 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. Opportunity youth include those that face chronic opportunity educational achievement gaps, attend schools in communities of concentrated poverty, or attend high schools with a negative school climate.

California is leading the way on expanding pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs beyond the traditional building trades and into in-demand and growing fields, such as clean energy, healthcare, information technology and cybersecurity.

Be a part of the new economy and stay tuned for more funding opportunities.

Eligibility

Any entity applying must demonstrate a history of at least 2 years of serving opportunity youth and have demonstrated successes in supporting opportunity youth to access employment. Eligible entity types must be:

  • Community Based Organizations
  • Non-profits
  • Workforce Development Boards
  • Unions
  • Apprenticeship Intermediaries
  • Apprenticeship program sponsors
  • Local Education Agencies
    • Community Colleges
    • County offices of education
    • K12
    • Adult Education
    • Regional Occupational Programs
    • Regional consortia of community college districts

Funding Structure

Planning Grants

  • Pre-Apprenticeship Grants Up to $300,000
  • Apprenticeship Grants Up to $500,000
  • 1 to 2 year grant period

Implementation Grants

  • Pre-Apprenticeship Grants $500,000 to $2,000,000
  • Apprenticeship Grants $500,000 to $2,000,000
  • 3 year grant period

For more information, visit the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) Grant web page.

New Economy Apprenticeship Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor has made $200 million available in grants to continue to support public-private partnerships that expand, diversify and strengthen Registered Apprenticeship in high-growth, new economy occupations.

Opportunities include careers in the following sectors:

  • Information technology/cybersecurity
  • Clean energy
  • Supply chain sectors (logistics, warehousing, transportation, advanced manufacturing)
  • Education
  • Care economy
  • Hospitality
  • Public sector

The funding opportunity includes $95 million of competitive grants through the second round of the Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program and $100 million in the second round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Grants.

For more information, view the U.S. Department of Labor News Release.