The U.S. department of Labor has announced the availability of approximately $20 million for two grants to provide employment services to young adult offenders and high school dropouts ages 18 to 24 in high-poverty, high-crime communities.

Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis stresses that it is important to reach these young people with training and employment services they need to get get good jobs. She sees it as a critical part of helping them build successful careers and lives. Solis states that these programs funded today will help strengthen communities by improving the career prospects of individuals who have been involved with the justice system or who have dropped out of school.

The goals of these grants are to prepare individuals for employment and reduce recidivism among participants. These goals will be accomplished through job placement, subsidized jobs, on-the-job training, mentoring and community service projects.

The Labor Department expects to award two grants of $10 million each covering a six-month planning period and two full years of operation. Each grantee will be required to competitively select local sub-grantees to operate programs in a minimum of five high-poverty, high-crime communities in at least two different states.

The solicitation for grant applications is published in today's edition of the Federal Register. It provides background information and the closing date, describes eligibility and submission requirements, outlines the process that eligible entities must use to apply for funds and details how grantees will be selected. To view the solicitation online, visit http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm.