Connected Lane County - an organization that provides job training for young people - will soon provide more support to youth with disabilities, thanks to a new federal grant.
Executive Director Heidi Larwick said the grant will allow the nonprofit to expand its Excelerators program, offering youth job training and hands-on experience.
“They're working full time and we're supporting them financially through a paycheck,” Larwick said. “They're learning to potentially grow their skill-set in manufacturing, tech, healthcare, and soon to be culinary.”
She said the $2.5 million grant will allow the organization to partner with the University of Oregon, serving more young people overall, and provide more targeted support to participants who have disabilities.
The grant will cover the launch of the culinary program in the spring, help Connected Lane County hire more full time staff, and cover more youth wages.
