A major federal grant will help keep a job-training program in the city of Camden alive.
Mayor Dana Redd said Camden's YouthBuild program, which won a national competition for a $1.1 million grant, is designed to train the city's at-risk youth for real job opportunities.
"We know that young people ages 16 to 24 will have the opportunity to obtain employment in the fields of construction trades, health care information technology, as well as provide support services and leadership training," she said.
The grant is the largest given to any municipality and was awarded on the strength of the program, not political clout, said U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey.
"I push. I complain. I write letters, but at the end of the day, they've got criteria to meet so the tribute here should not be toward your senator, the tribute should be toward the people who run this YouthBuild program," said, Booker, who is running for re-election this year.
Camden YouthBuild is preparing to move into a new $2 million facility. The federal grant will cover operating costs, not the new building.
