FACT SHEET: Youth CareerConnect Grants

Building America’s Next Generation Workforce

To compete in today’s global economy, America’s students need deep knowledge and skills that will prepare them for college and the jobs of the future. Yet far too many of America’s students are not meaningfully engaged or motivated in their academic experience while in high school. Many high school graduates lack exposure to learning that links their work in school to college and careers—especially in the critically important fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Moreover, many of America’s international competitors offer students a more rigorous and relevant education in their middle and high school years.

In his 2013 State of the Union address, the President laid out a new vision for America’s high schools, proposing funding to scale up innovative high school models and partnerships with colleges and employers so that all students graduate better equipped for the demands of a high-tech economy. Today’s global economy requires new approaches to teaching and learning in America’s high schools to foster problem solving and analysis, to support creativity and collaboration, and to connect student learning directly to the real world. A 21^st century education and workforce system must challenge students to do meaningful work inside and outside of the classroom, encouraging the persistence, engagement, and achievement that will put all students on track for college and careers.

Today, as part of achieving the President’s goal of redesigning high schools to ensure students are prepared to succeed in post-secondary education and in a competitive workforce, the U.S. Department of Labor is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Education to make $100 million available for Youth CareerConnect grants to provide high school students with the industry-relevant education and skills they need for a successful future.

The Youth CareerConnect grant program is designed to encourage America’s school districts, institutions of higher education, the workforce investment system, and their partners to scale up evidence-based high school models that will transform the high school experience for America’s youth. Youth CareerConnect schools will strengthen America’s talent pipeline through:

• Integrated Academic and Career-Focused Learning: Grants will provide students with education and training that combines rigorous academic and career-focused curriculum to increase students’ employability in in-demand industries and prepare them for employment, post-secondary education, long-term occupational skills training, or registered apprenticeships. 

• Work-Based Learning and Exposure to the World of Work: Strong partnerships will provide work-based learning opportunities.  In addition to actual work experience, youth participants will also participate in field trips, job-shadowing, or other types of opportunities that provide students with exposure to different career paths and prepare them for the world of work.

• Robust Employer Engagement: Employer partners will provide work-based learning and mentoring, creating a path for students to in-demand industries and occupations including those in information technologies, advanced manufacturing and other science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields . Employers will also work closely with schools on professional development and training for staff to drive the sustainability of the program over the long term. 

• Individualized Career and Academic Counseling: As an integral part of the program design, students will be provided with individualized career and academic counseling experiences to strengthen their career and post-secondary awareness and explore opportunities beyond high school.  

• Integration of Post-secondary Education and Training: Students will participate in education and training, while they are still in high school, that leads to credit toward a post-secondary degree or certificate and an industry recognized credential, where appropriate. 

The Department of Labor will use up to $100 million in revenues from the H-1B visa program to fund approximately 25 to 40 grants for individual or multi-site projects. Grants will be awarded to local education agencies, public or non-profit local workforce entities, or non-profits with education reform experience. All grantees will have to demonstrate a strong public/private partnership, and must include, at a minimum, a local education agency, a local workforce investment system entity, an employer, and an institution of higher education. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to employers, foundations, and others in building their applications and leveraging the federal investment. At a minimum, applicants will also be required to provide a match of 25 percent of the grant award.  Awards are anticipated to be made in early 2014 for program implementation to align with the 2014-15 school year.

This announcement builds on the President’s broader agenda to strengthen education to better prepare young people for college and careers:

• The Administration’s efforts to redesign high schools were unveiled in the 2013 State of the Union address and FY2014 Budget Proposal, in which the President called for $300 million in new funding at the Department of Education to transform the high school experience for America’s youth through a whole school redesign effort.  This effort, currently before Congress, would challenge high schools and their partners to rethink teaching and learning and put in place learning models that are rigorous, relevant, and better focused on real-world experiences. 

• Today’s announcement also builds on ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Education to reform America’s Career and Technical Education system through a reauthorized Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act, aiming to leverage change in the federal government’s $1 billion investment each year to usher in a new era of rigorous, relevant, and results-driven CTE programs. 

To apply for funding, please visit www.doleta.gov/ycc.

FACT SHEET: U.S. Response to Typhoon Haiyan

Since Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on November 8, U.S. disaster relief experts and military personnel have worked around the clock to deliver food, water, medicine, and shelter to help those hit hardest by the storm.  In support of the Philippines’ relief effort, the United States is providing more than $37 million in humanitarian aid to those in need.

U.S. Assistance at a Glance

U.S. humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan includes:

In the days following the storm, U.S. assistance has included:

• Emergency shelter materials for 20,000 families (100,000 people)
• Hygiene kits for 20,000 families (100,000 people)
• 55 metric tons of food assistance benefitting 19,800 families (99,000 people)
• Water containers for 14,400 families (72,000 people)
• Restored functionality of the Tacloban municipal water system, benefiting 200,000 people.

There are currently 15 USAID disaster response specialists and approximately 9,500 U.S. military personnel responding to the crisis.

U.S. military aircraft have logged some 945 flight hours, delivered more than 750,000 pounds of relief supplies and equipment, moved more than 1,200 relief workers into Tacloban, and airlifted nearly 5,640 survivors from storm affected areas.

A significant amount of U.S. assistance has also supported logistical operations, including helping get airports up and running, providing communications support, expanding transportation capacity, and establishing aid distribution centers.

A Coordinated Response

Even before the storm reached land, the United States began coordinating potential support to the Philippines’ response effort.  Departments and agencies in Washington and our Embassy in Manila were in close communication in the days before the storm.  Our Embassy put out a warning message for American citizens and USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the area.

The DART was the first government assessment team to arrive in Leyte province, and continues to play a critical role in leading the U.S. response effort, assessing storm damage, advising on critical humanitarian needs, coordinating relief efforts in support of the Philippine government, and working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies.  Five USAID airlifts have delivered needed emergency supplies like plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, water containers, and nutrition-dense food items.  Of the more than $37 million in U.S. assistance, we provided $10 million to the World Food Programme to enable, in part, the purchase of 2,500 metric tons of rice being distributed by the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development.

U.S. Marines on the ground in the Philippines were among the first to respond, using C-130s and MV-22 Ospreys to airlift relief supplies to Tacloban and other hard hit areas.  The USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Philippines on November 14, and has helped expand search and rescue operations, provide medical care, and deliver supplies using its 21 helicopters.  In addition, U.S. Pacific Command has established a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief-certified Joint Task Force at Camp Aguinaldo.  A joint contingent of more than 850 military personnel is currently ashore in the Philippines.  Two U.S. amphibious ships – the USS Ashland and USS Germantown -- are currently en route to the Philippines after loading elements of the 31^st Marine Expeditionary Unit at Okinawa, Japan and will bring with them heavy engineering equipment like backhoes, dump trucks and wreckers needed to support the response.

Our Philippine ally is responding to one of the largest disasters its country has ever faced, and we have been coordinating closely with them at every step.  Thus far, our cooperation has been excellent.  Our military personnel are in close touch, as are our development and disaster relief experts.  The Philippine government has moved quickly to facilitate humanitarian assistance provided by the United States and international community, and has provided quick clearance for U.S. aircraft, ships, and personnel, enabling us to rapidly begin to deliver assistance to affected areas.

How Americans Can Help

As President Obama said last week, when friends are in trouble, America helps.  The United States will continue to offer whatever assistance we can to the people of the Philippines, but this is more than just a government effort.  Learn more about how you can help at http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/typhoon.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

• Linda Thomas-Greenfield – Member, Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation 

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Edith Ramirez – Member (Government Official), Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States
• Geovette E. Washington – Member (Government Official), Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States
• Janet Keller – Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
• Kerry James Marshall – Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
• Kalpen Suresh Modi – Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
• Andrew J. Weinstein – Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
• John Lloyd Young – Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities 

President Obama said, “These fine public servants bring both a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles.  Our nation will be well-served by these men and women, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.” 

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a member of the Career Foreign Service, is currently serving as Assistant Secretary for African Affairs at the Department of State.  Prior to assuming her current position, she was Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources.  She was also Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Service.  Previously, from 2008 to 2012, she was the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia.  From 2006 to 2008, she was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau for African Affairs, and from 2004 to 2006, she was a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.  Other assignments have included overseas postings in Nigeria, The Gambia, Kenya, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Switzerland.  From 1991 to 1993, she served as a Staff Assistant in the Office of the Director General of the Foreign Service.  Prior to joining the Department of State in 1982, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield taught Political Science at Bucknell University.  Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield received a B.A. from Louisiana State University and an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Edith Ramirez, Appointee for Member (Government Official), Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States

Edith Ramirez is the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a position she has held since March 2013.  She has served as an FTC Commissioner since 2010.  From 1997 to 2010, Ms. Ramirez was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP (formerly Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP).  From 1993 to 1996, she was an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  Ms. Ramirez served as a law clerk from 1992 to 1993 for Judge Alfred T. Goodwin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  She received an A.B. in History from Harvard University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Geovette E. Washington, Appointee for Member (Government Official), Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States

Geovette E. Washington is the General Counsel for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a position she has held since June 2013.  Ms. Washington was previously Deputy General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce from 2010 to 2013.  Prior to this, she worked at Lewis Baach PLLC (formerly Baach Robinson and Lewis PLLC), as partner from 2000 to 2010 and associate from 1996 to 1999.  Ms. Washington was a Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice from 1993 to 1996.  She was a law clerk for the Honorable Aubrey E. Robinson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia from 1992 to 1993.  Ms. Washington received a B.A. from Wesleyan College and a J.D. from Duke University.

Janet Keller, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Janet Keller is the founder of Keller Consultants, a company she started in 1990 to provide strategic and fundraising advice to candidates and campaigns.  She has been involved in politics and public policy for three decades at the local, state, and federal levels.  In 2012, she served as a member of the Obama for America National Finance Committee.  She was also a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee, the Women’s Leadership Forum, and was appointed by former Governor Gray Davis to represent San Diego on the California Regional Water Quality Control Board from 2000 to 2006.  Ms. Keller received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of San Diego.

Kerry James Marshall, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Kerry James Marshall is an independent artist with solo and group exhibitions, public projects, and public collections displayed in museums around the United States, including the National Gallery of Art.  He works across a broad range of media, including painting, photography, video, sculpture, performance, and installations.  He was a tenured professor at the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago until 2006.  Mr. Marshall worked as production designer for the feature films Daughters of the Dust and Sankofa.   In 1997, he received a MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  He is a board member of the advisory board of the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Tiffany Foundation, and previously served on the advisory board of the Artadia Foundation.  Mr. Marshall received a B.F.A. from the Otis Arts Institute.

Kalpen Suresh Modi, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Kalpen Suresh Modi is an actor, writer, and producer.  From 2009 to 2011, he was an Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement at the White House, serving as liaison to Young Americans, the Arts, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.  Before joining the White House, Mr. Modi worked as an artist and actor in Los Angeles and New York, and was also an Adjunct Lecturer in Asian American Studies, Film Studies, and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.  He served as a member of the Obama for America National Arts Policy Committee in 2008 and as a National Campaign Co-Chair in 2012.  Mr. Modi received a B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles.

Andrew J. Weinstein, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Andrew J. Weinstein is the Managing Partner at the Weinstein Law Firm, a position he has held since 1996.  He is a member of the Florida Panthers Advisory Board, the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice, and the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association Board.  Mr. Weinstein is also Finance Chair of the Democratic Party of Florida.  In 2011, he was listed among the Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine, and he has been named a Florida Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine.  Mr. Weinstein received a B.A. from the University of Central Florida and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University.

John Lloyd Young, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

John Lloyd Young is an actor and singer.  He originated the role of “Frankie Valli” in the Broadway hit Jersey Boys from 2005 to 2007, and reprised that role in 2013.  He has held lead roles in Spring Awakening, The Chosen, and Les Miserables.  He has performed in venues across the country with guest appearances on television shows including Glee in 2009 and Vegas in 2013. Mr. Young won a Tony award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2006 for his work in Jersey Boys, and received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World awards.   He has been involved with charitable organizations such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, AIDS Project Los Angeles, amfAR, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the United Service Organization.  Mr. Young received a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Brown University.

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Debo P. Adegbile, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Thomas E. Perez, resigned.

Marc A. Kastner, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the Office of Science, Department of Energy, vice William F. Brinkman.

Harry James Franklyn Korrell III, of Washington, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2014.  (Reappointment)

Mark E. Lopes, of Arizona, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2016, vice Hector E. Morales, term expired.

Victor B. Maddox, of Kentucky, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2016.  (Reappointment)

Vivek Hallegere Murthy, of Massachusetts, to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, subject to qualifications therefor as provided by law and regulations, and to be Surgeon General of the Public Health Service for a term of four years, vice, Regina M. Benjamin, resigned.

Franklin M. Orr, Jr., of California, to be Under Secretary for Science, Department of Energy, vice Steven Elliot Koonin.