A path to a brighter future is being offered to youth in northwest Alabama who have dropped out of school. Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded a $486,000 grant to Northwest Shoals Community College to continue a program that provides education, job training and other assistance to help youth ages 16-21 begin careers.

The program, called Youth Success, will serve about 150 participants in Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion and Winston counties during the next 12 months.

“Young people who lack basic education and job-skills training face serious barriers to employment,” Bentley said. “Through this program, participants can attain the education and skills they need to turn their lives around and become self-supporting citizens.”

Program tutors help participants improve academic and testing skills and prepare for the GED exam. Short-term training in basic job skills prepares students for employment or longer-term training at a two-year college. In addition to educational opportunities, the program helps participants learn leadership skills and develop positive attitudes for the workplace.