Area congressmembers announce over $1 million grant for youth workforce training in Lenexa

U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran as well as U.S. Representative Sharice Davids last week announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded more than $1.2 million in funding to the Local Workforce Investment Area III Inc. in Lenexa.

The grant will help youth ages 16-24 who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market to obtain employment in in-demand industries. Here are some thoughts from each of the congressmembers.

Rep. Sharice Davids:

"I'm excited to see this investment in our local workforce through the Department of Labor and YouthBuild. Skills training programs like this provide long-term economic opportunities that uplift our entire community, benefitting workers and businesses alike. I can't wait to see what YouthBuild can accomplish with this significant grant, and look forward to building more strong pipelines to good-paying jobs in our district."

Sen. Roger Marshall:

"It is through job training and education that we will truly get people back to work and rebuild our great economy. YouthBuild's efforts in conjunction with our state's Workforce Partnership will equip and empower young people with real-life job skills that will allow them to build promising careers and help fill the thousands of open jobs in Kansas. I applaud this substantial investment in the future of our state, and look forward to seeing the positive impact it has on the Lenexa community and Kansas as a whole."

Sen. Jerry Moran:

"As Kansas businesses work to reopen to full capacity, this program will afford young Kansans new and encouraging career opportunities while helping support our state's economy. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to support Youthbuild and work with our federal agencies to make certain that Kansas is a priority when these resources are distributed, especially as our state recovers from the pandemic."