Apr 13 Newsletter — OY Federal Updates
Let's Catch Up...
The President's Budget Materials
The White House released its Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request. The annual President’s request is largely symbolic — letting Congress and the public know the Administration’s priorities. The President proposes full eliminations or significant cuts to many Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed) programs. Overall, the budget proposes a decrease of $3 billion (3.9%) for the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and a decrease of about 25.9% for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Programmatic eliminations include, but are not limited to:
WIOA Youth Activities and other youth and young adult training programs
Like last year’s budget request, the President proposes a block grant approach to workforce funding called “Make America Skilled Again.” Check out this blog about how block granting can be extremely harmful to workforce programs.
21st Century Community Learning Centers
Apprenticeships
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)
Education for homeless children and youth
Job Corps
TRIO
YouthBuild
Resources:
Deadlines Coming Up in Senate FY27 Appropriations Process
The Senate Appropriations Committee issued its guidance for FY27. Programmatic requests, language requests, and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS, previously referred to as earmarks) for Labor-HHS-Ed are all due by April 21.
Look at your Senators’ websites to find the link to submit an FY27 programmatic funding or language request.
Check out this helpful step-by-step guide from the National Network for Youth (NN4Y) to learn how to request CDS/earmark funding.
Upcoming House Deadlines
Programmatic requests, language requests, and Community Project Funding (CPF, previously referred to as earmarks) were due on March 27th. Members of Congress must post CPF requests on their websites by 6:00pm EST on April 17th.
Written public testimony to the House Labor-HHS-Ed Subcommittee are due on April 16th. Submitted documents will be included in the committee’s hearing record, and instructions for this testimony are linked here.
A Reminder of the Final FY26 Appropriations Bill
The FY26 Labor-HHS-Ed bill could have been much, much worse. However, federal support for youth employment and training continues to die by a thousand cuts.
It changed little about programs serving Opportunity Youth (OY), rejecting proposals in President Trump’s budget that would have eliminated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth, Adult Education, Job Corps, and AmeriCorps funding.
The bill included targeted language to protect existing programs, such as a prohibition on unilateral closure by the executive branch of Civilian Conservation Centers and Job Corps Centers – unless they meet existing statutory and regulatory requirements for closure.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reauthorization
Earlier this week, House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced the House Republican proposal for a WIOA reauthorization bill. The new “A Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWA) of 2026” is an iteration of the bipartisan and bicameral ASWA that nearly passed at the end of 2024. WIOA reauthorization is long overdue, and we appreciate the support for the 2024 ASWA legislation in the recent letter to Congress.
There are some key changes to the 2026 ASWA text, including:
Removed the term and definition of Opportunity Youth (OY).
Removed the use of Redesignation Incentive funds to incentivize services for individuals with barriers to employment during the first program year that begins after the redesignation of a local area.
Largely changed the structure of Title II (Adult Education and Literacy), including transferring such programs from the Department of Education to Labor.
Added the term “Talent Marketplace,” meaning “array of publicly and privately-owned platforms supported by interconnected and, where relevant, interoperable and based on open standards.”
Added automatic inclusion of Workforce Pell programs under Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) automatic eligibility.
Take Action: Sign On Today!
Now that Fiscal Year 2026 is ALMOST complete, our coalition is moving full steam ahead with our FY27 ask for workforce and education programming. We have already sent a letter to the hill urging them to focus on FY27 appropriations and to increase funding streams that assist Opportunity Youth.
You can access the full coalition letter by clicking here.
The appropriations session is just getting started so there is still time to add your name to the list. Please feel free to share the letter with your networks.
The funding we seek for fiscal year 2027 (FY27) takes into account inflation, need, and federal budget limitations. We need YOUR help to urge Congressional members to fortify investments for all education and labor programs to provide more opportunities for young people to engage in economic advancement in FY27. Some of the key programs include:
WIOA Youth Activities
Apprenticeship
Adult Education State Grants
AmeriCorps State and National
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps
McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO)
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Program
YouthBuild
Job Corps
You can sign on to the letter using this link: OY Sign-On Letter
You can read the full letter here: RYC FY27 Appropriations Request Letter
The Deadline to Sign On is Extended to April 21st!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison DC FLY-IN
The Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison (OYCL) Fly-In is finally over and our young leaders are back at home! This week, we had 14 young people from across the U.S. in key campaign state/districts came to DC to meet directly with their members of congress and their staff. These young people voiced their concerns about Opportunity Youth and the barriers they face to employment and education. Some OYCLs amplified issues related to indigenous communities, juvenile justice, foster care, youth experiencing homelessness, access to health care, Palestine, and much more!
We’re extremely proud of these young leaders and the work that they will continue to do within their home states and the advocacy journeys they’ll continue to lead.
Learn more about the program here: Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Program
Learn about our liaisons here: Meet the Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaisons
Opportunity in Action at the Louisiana State Capitol
In this blog, Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Samarah Bentley reflects on recently attending Opportunity in Action Day at the Louisiana State Capitol and how that experience is shaping her approach to national advocacy.
Resource Center
This guide from the National Network for Youth (NN4Y) provides step-by-step instructions to submit a Community Project Funding – also called earmark – request.
Watch The Video Here: FY 2027 Earmarks Webinar: Secure Funding to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness
Getting Workforce Pell Right for Young People – What We’ve Learned from Career Technical Education
Advance CTE and the National Skills Coalition (NSC) discuss the movement of Workforce Pell from policy to practice, and how new opportunities for learners and workers can lead to high quality education and training programs. This blog explores how policymakers can draw from learnings in Career Technical Education (CTE) to ensure that Workforce Pell is a meaningful bridge to new college and career possibilities for young people – not a detour that constrains their futures.
Economic Bill of RYTS (Real Youth Troubles & Solutions)
MyPath’s Youth Economic Bill of RYTS (Real Youth Troubles and Solutions) is a document created by and for youth that identifies the most pressing financial issues young people around the country face and offers policy-based youth-centered solutions. The current version was created in 2019 and reflects the needs of youth navigating a global pandemic. The current 2025-2026 POWER Leaders cohort is working to ‘refresh’ the document to reflect the current realities and needs of young people. As the group creates a first draft, we want to gather input from as many voices and policy perspectives as possible. We invite you to review the current Bill of RYTS and share your feedback – what feels most relevant, what may be missing, and what should be reconsidered as we shape the next iteration of this important youth-centered policy tool.
Why New SNAP Work Requirements Undermine Workers and States
The National Skills Coalition (NSC) writes about the new federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the “Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) that was passed earlier this year. This article discusses how the work requirements are actually barriers to workers finding and keeping good jobs, and will ultimately block people from food assistance during the process.
The Anne E. Casey Foundation invests in efforts to equip OY with the skills, credentials, and experiences needed to prepare for placement in their first job, gain experience, and grow their careers. This report highlights key strategies that Casey and its partners have implemented to help young people navigate transitions from school to work.
Monthly Opportunity Youth Policy Stakeholders Meeting
For all those with important perspectives to share and a willingness to engage in federal advocacy and implementation, but for whom weekly meetings would be overkill, we will host monthly meetings that cover the content from both meetings above (advocacy and implementation), briefing participants on key developments, soliciting views and priorities, and providing meaningful opportunities to engage. These meetings are designed particularly for organizations whose work is not primarily federal advocacy, but whose voices are critical to ensure federal efforts meet their needs, for example, Aspen Opportunity Youth Forum sites, LEAP sites, and NLC Reengagement Network participants.
Meetings are held on the last Monday of each month at 4pm (EST)
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