Youth Job Training Grant Program is sponsored by Kansas Department of Commerce (CDBG). Supports workforce readiness for youth aged 12–19 via training, certification, internships, staff salaries, materials, administration.

Youth Job Training - Kansas Department of Commerce Gov. Kelly and Kansas City Chiefs Announce Agreement On Plans for State-of-the-Art Domed Stadium in Kansas Governor Kelly Celebrates Grand Opening of Panasonic EV Battery Manufacturing Facility in De Soto Governor Kelly Announces Grand Opening of Heartland Coca-Cola Olathe Production Campus Merck Animal Health Investing $895M in De Soto Plant Expansion Taxes, Credits, & Exemptions To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards Corporate & Professional Services Food Processing and Manufacturing Energy & Natural Resources KAC Grant Applications Now Open to Support Community Arts Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced that applications are being accepted for three Kansas Arts Commission (KAC) grant programs that support a wide range of arts and cultural activities across the state.

Commerce Reopens Tax Credit Opportunities for Nonprofits, Healthcare Entities Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the latest round of the Community Service Program (CSP) Tax Credits, making $4. 14 million in state tax credits available for donors to qualified projects.

Explore New Opportunities at Upcoming KANSASWORKS Virtual Job Fair Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland encourages jobseekers and employers searching for available talent to take part in February’s Virtual Statewide Job Fair, hosted by KANSASWORKS, from 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p.

m. Thursday, February 26. Gamechangers & Champions Event to Feature Startup Pitch Competition, Networking The Kansas Department of Commerce, in partnership with NXTUS, Inc. and KU Innovation Park, announced today it will host Gamechangers & Champions 2026: Bracket Bash for Innovators and Angels in March.

Incentives & Financing, Taxes, Credits & Exemptions, Site Selection, Doing Business in Kansas Infrastructure assessment, community planning, development support, and downtown activation Find a Job, Job Seeker Services, Employer Services Plan your trip to Kansas. Places to visit, things to do. Order a free Travel Guide.

Exporting Programs & Services, Investment, Reshoring Resources for your move to Kansas.

Kansas Small Business Office Taxes, Credits, & Exemptions To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards Corporate & Professional Services Food Processing and Manufacturing Energy & Natural Resources Kansas Small Business Office Providing funding to help youth enter the workforce with training and skills development, this program encourages self-sufficiency and independence, and addresses the shortage of skilled trade workers in Kansas.

Get Program Notifications arrow_forward_ios Benefit Low- to Moderate-Income households At least 10% of matching funds SEE IF YOUR COMMUNITY QUALIFIES Check qualifications, programs, and more 2026 Pre-Application Now Open! A pre-application must be submitted and approved by CDBG before an application can be submitted.

The pre-application is used to determine project eligibility and readiness before proceeding to the full application stage. Commerce will review submissions within ten days and provide further instructions. Please discuss your project with CDBG staff before submitting a pre-application.

You can contact a project manager at any time or email [email protected] . The Youth Job Training Grant Program provides funding to expand employment opportunities for youth, aiming to address the skilled trades shortage, fill jobs statewide, and keep young people engaged and rooted in Kansas communities.

This program supports youth in completing their education, pursuing postsecondary training, and securing entry-level jobs that lead to long-term careers, with assistance ranging from life skills and resume writing to simulator training, internships, and field-specific instruction. A total of $500,000 has been allocated for the Youth Job Training Grant Program in 2026.

This program addresses the need to support youth (ages 12-19) in workforce training and engagement.

Eligible expenses include: Screening and skills assessment of participants Training, instruction, and certification of participants Software and instructional materials for training and educational purposes (acquired through procurement procedures defined by KDC) Books, supplies, and other materials necessary for participants to complete their training Administration costs for grant funds Salaries for staff running these programs All CDBG projects must meet a national objective and involve an eligible activity under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

National objectives are 1) benefiting Low- and Moderate-Income persons (LMI), 2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight, and 3) meet a need having a particular urgency (urgent need). All activities proposed in applications for the Youth Job Training Grant Program must meet the national objective of benefiting low- and moderate-income persons (through the subcategory LMI Limited Clientele ).

Participants are required to complete a self-certification income form to document family size and income. Student families must be income qualified, and each subrecipient must be able to demonstrate that 51% of the students participating in the program are at or below 80 percent of the Average Median Income for the county where the student and their family reside.

Priority will be given to programs that assist job training in industries highlighted in the Framework for Growth . Priority should also be given to youth training in trades or employment sectors that are in high demand within your community. Revised 2026 guidelines will be available in January.

Key considerations include: Public service employment training – including assistance to increase self-sufficiency, literacy, resume writing, job coaching or training students in a particular field or skill when there is no tie to a specific position or business.

At least 51% of all program participants must meet LMI (low- to moderate-income) requirements – which is at or below 80% of the Average Median Income for the county in which the family resides. Communities who have not been awarded a CDBG Grant in the annual competition within the last five years in Housing, Community Facilities, or Water and Sewer will receive 10 bonus points on their application rating.

Local funding is required for all CDBG projects, and no project can be funded entirely by grants. Matching funds can originate from private or public sources, but the application must document that these funds are firmly committed (e.g., a letter of commitment from a bank or other funding source).

Examples of matching funds include bank loans, industrial revenue bonds, owners’ equity, contributions from local governments, or grants and loans from economic development entities. Applicants are allowed to match CDBG funds with other grant funds if that funding is secured in a city/county account by the time the contract is signed.

At least 10% of the matching funds must be cash from a local source (i.e., owner funds, city/county cash). Any expenses incurred prior to the grant award are ineligible for reimbursement with CDBG funds. This includes grant writing, engineering, and architecture.

Applicants must submit a pre-application to confirm eligibility before applying for CDBG funding. This process allows us to provide early feedback and address any eligibility concerns before applicants complete the full application, and ensures projects align with program goals and are prepared for funding. The form requires a brief project description, estimated budget, eligibility status, and readiness to proceed.

Commerce will review submissions within ten days and provide further instructions. Only those with an approved pre-application may submit a full application, but pre-approval does not ensure grant funding. If you are new to the CDBG program, please reach out to us to schedule an initial discussion first.

A new pre-application link will be available Jan. 7, 2026. Can a community apply for more than one project?

Communities may apply for multiple CDBG categories but can only be awarded up to two projects total , with no more than one from a major category. Major categories include: Community Facilities: Large/Small, Blueprint to Build, Water and Sewer Infrastructure, and Regional Water Implementation. For example, a city can submit applications for a Housing Rehabilitation and a Community Facilities: Large Grants project.

However, a city cannot apply for both a Large and Small Community Facilities project. What is the public hearing process? The local government must hold two public hearings to demonstrate that reasonable efforts have been undertaken to ensure involvement of citizens or citizen organizations throughout all stages of the program.

A notice about the hearing must be published in a local newspaper with the widest circulation, and it must appear at least 5 full days before the hearing —not counting the day it’s published or the day of the hearing itself. These hearings must be held at a time and location convenient to potential or actual beneficiaries, with accommodations for non-English speaking residents and persons with disabilities.

A sample public hearing notice is included in program guidelines. First Public Hearing : Must be held at least 15 days before the CDBG application is submitted, and no earlier than 120 days . The purpose of the hearing is to inform citizens about the proposed project, including its location, total cost, activities, and beneficiaries.

Community members must be given a chance to suggest other project ideas and share their input, and the local governing body should carefully consider this feedback before submitting the application. The total project funding and CDBG amount requested must match what appears in the public hearing notice.

Second Public Hearing : Must be held at the conclusion of the project, prior to close out to inform citizens of the project’s successful or unsuccessful completion, and to obtain input on the grantee’s performance. Who are the beneficiaries? Youth will benefit from this funding opportunity.

Youth could include those at risk of involvement or further involvement in the criminal or juvenile justice system, at risk of involvement in the child welfare system, at risk of education failure (includes risk due to social conditions), education failure (dropping out, expelled, no GED, etc.), youth with no work experience, youth with a history of employment failure, homeless youth, or youth with a disability.

Is an instructor’s salary an eligible use of funds? Yes. An instructor (or other program staff) is necessary for training; therefore, the salary is an eligible expense.

The salary expense must also be allocable to the program and that must be documented (i.e., document the number of staff hours worked on the program and the number of hours worked outside the program – using timesheets as an example). We encourage partnerships with educational institutions and/or other entities involved in youth job training.

When developing a youth job training program, be sure to include the voices of the youth population you plan on serving. This is crucial in designing any middle/high school program. Create a diverse youth committee to help develop your program.

Partnership building is important for executing a youth job training program. Partners help provide enrichment content to make the program fun and exciting, as well as being a main component of sustainability. Your program should partner with local school districts, youth development agencies, workforce development organizations, non-profits, and for-profit businesses.

Build your program around the needs of the community without duplicating efforts. Youth job training encompasses a wide spectrum of workforce development and the program you develop should address a specific area that your community lacks. Gathering letters of support is a great way to enhance your grant application.

Get a broad base of community leaders to confirm the importance of your project. See other communities that have received funding in past years The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program requires that each CDBG funded activity must either principally benefit low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or meet a community development need having a particular urgency.

Based on program participants With an LMI (low- and moderate-income) of {{lmi}}%, you will have to survey and provide benefit to an area in your community with 51% LMI. Learn more about the survey process. View LMI Family Income Limits for LMI calculations are from the 2020 Census and LMI by household are from 2026 HUD Section 8.

Final LMI will be confirmed upon application review. Assistance from a professional with CDBG grant experience can help you streamline and strengthen your application. Some or all of the costs to engage help can be covered by your award.

Here are the background documents for the Commercial Rehabilitation grant that will help you apply. 2025 CDBG Youth Job Training Guidelines (. pdf) Applications Accepted: May 1 – Nov.

14, 2025 Get notifications for this year and next year Email Jason Teal, CDBG Specialist Incentives & Financing, Taxes, Credits & Exemptions, Site Selection, Doing Business in Kansas Infrastructure assessment, community planning, development support, and downtown activation Find a Job, Job Seeker Services, Employer Services Plan your trip to Kansas. Places to visit, things to do. Order a free Travel Guide.

Exporting Programs & Services, Investment, Reshoring Accessibility  ․  Role City or County Staff Grant Professional Non-Profit / Community Development Organization Consultant Community Member / Other Which programs are you interested in?

Water and Sewer Infrastructure Communities Facilities and Services Early Childhood Education and Care Facilities Communication, Recreation Centers, Parks, and Libraries Architectural Barrier Removal Commercial Rehabilitation Your City or County (Required) Kansas economic development Ideal Newsletter (Required) Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Rural Prosperity Office of Broadband Development Company/Organization (Required) By checking this box, I agree to receive notifications from Kansas Department of Commerce (Required) By checking this box, I agree to receive notifications from Kansas Department of Commerce