Opportunity Youth
In Hawaiʻi, 1 in 9 young adults ages 16 to 24 – almost 18,000 youth – are not in school and not working. These young adults, often referred to as Opportunity Youth (OY), are navigating one of life’s most critical transitions toward independence, identity, and belonging. They face significant and intersecting challenges such as poverty, housing instability, justice system involvement, or aging out of foster care that can make their journey to adulthood difficult. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander youth are disproportionately affected, making up nearly half of this group.
One of the key learnings from the OY Program to date is that most of Hawaiʻiʻs Opportunity Youth – 80% – are age 20 or older and face an impossible choice: take low-wage work now to survive, or invest time in building skills with no income. For young adults juggling rent, food, and family, survival almost always wins. The result is a cycle of economic insecurity with no clear way out.
Hawaiʻi has over 100 registered apprenticeship programs — but they were not designed to reach disconnected young adults. What’s missing is a bridge: structured, paid pathways that meet OY where they are and connect them to careers that last. The 2026 OY Program is designed to help address this gap.
Program Purpose
- Fund pre-apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship programs that let OY earn income while building career skills and industry recognized credentials — resolving the impossible choice between survival and skill-building.
- Ensure wraparound support — housing, transportation, childcare, mental health — so that barriers don’t become reasons to drop out.
- Demonstrate that apprenticeship models work for disconnected young adults — and build a roadmap for expanding these pathways statewide.
Approaches
- Fund 3–5 organizations with proven capacity to serve disconnected OY through earn-and-learn models — organizations that combine employer partnerships, education/training connections, and wraparound services.
- Create intentional onramps through pre-apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship programs specifically designed for out-of-school young adults – filling a gap that in-school programs are not positioned to address.
Build clear pathways from pre-apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship into Hawaiʻiʻs 100+ state-registered apprenticeship programs and other earn and learn programs – unlocking credentials, livable wages, and long-term career stability for OY who complete the program. - Partner with Jobs for the Future (JFF) to provide grantees with expert technical assistance including coaching, peer learning, and annual site visits – to strengthen program design and build lasting capacity.
Program Funding
Invitation Only: A by-Invitation-Only application process is being used to build on existing momentum, ensure employer partnerships, match expertise and experience with addressing challenges faced by OY. Invitation to apply will be based on an organizationʻs demonstrated capacity to serve disconnected
opportunity youth through pre/youth apprenticeship programs and other earn-and-learn models.
Budget: Grants of up to $200,000 per year for three years. Budgets should be well-aligned with expected outcomes. Co-funding from employers or other sources is strongly encouraged.
Timeline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with board consideration following each
deadline:
- April 24, 2026 — board will consider proposal in May
- August 7, 2026 — board will consider proposal in September
- October 23, 2026 — board will consider proposal in November
