EmployIndy Receives $1.1M Grant

An Indianapolis organization is receiving a $1.1 million grant from the U.S Department of Labor to help put low-income, at-risk young people to work.

A new two year round of funding will allow EmployIndy to provide pocket money and training to find and keep long term employment.

The money is part more than $73 million in grants for programs across the country that work with at-risk youth.

EmployIndy works with 18 to 24 year olds, most of who have dropped out of school and are looking for a new direction.

The organization helps them get a diploma and then develop life and job skills, including learning construction trades.

Director of Youth and Governance William Miller says the young people use those skills to redevelop low-income, inner city houses.

"We have dilapidated houses, to say the least. Some of them are really bad," he said.  "The house is now going to be used by somebody and these young kids who have not had many successes in their life, can walk down the street and say 'I helped do that.  I think that is extremely rewarding to the kids."

EmployIndy works with about 35 young people a year.  The grant funds help pay for the program services and are used for gas cards, bus passes, and an attendance stipend to help offset what they would make at a minimum wage job.

"We found in the past that if we don't keep the stipend at a certain level, they are really unable to continue in the program because they need food for themselves and their families, they need to pay their bills, and they either have to work or be in the program, so the stipend we pay is extremely important," said Miller.

Those who go through the program are usually referred by community based organizations.

Miller says about 61 percent of the young people who complete the program finds jobs or go on to secondary education.