Three Roanoke Valley nonprofit groups are working together to provide about 70 high school dropouts with construction training and the means to earn their GED diplomas.

The project is part of the national YouthBuild USA program that will be administered locally by Total Action Against Poverty's This Valley Works, Habitat for Humanity and Goodwill Industries. TAP recently learned it will get a $979,933 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, which will fund the program for two years.

According to Jo Nelson, assistant director of This Valley Works, people who enroll in the program will divide their time between GED classes and learning construction trades. They'll put the latter to work by helping Habitat for Humanity build two houses in Roanoke's Hurt Park neighborhood.

Nelson said the grant requires This Valley Works to help place graduates of the program either in college or in jobs. Goodwill is helping with job placement, she said.

The program is open to high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24. Those who are eligible can enroll by visiting This Valley Works offices in the Roanoke Higher Education Center or by calling 767-6220.

-- Mason Adams