Senator Spivey proposes VR‑backed pre‑apprenticeship pilot to help system‑impacted youth obtain jobs

Senator Carol Spivey (District 13) introduced LB 11 40, an earmark to use $500,000 of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) funding for a pilot pre‑apprenticeship program targeting system‑impacted youth in metropolitan jurisdictions. Spivey said the request is an intentional, budget‑conscious attempt to use existing VR capacity to support a high‑need population and to test models that can be replicated elsewhere.

Lindy Foley, administrator of Nebraska VR, described VR’s statewide infrastructure (11 offices) and its dual‑customer mission to prepare young adults with disabilities for employment and to help businesses recruit and retain workers. Foley said VR already partners with schools and employers and that the pilot would align VR expertise with community partners, probation services and juvenile facilities to create continuity from detention or supervision to workplace entry.

Senators asked whether the earmark would affect federal matches; sponsors said the $500,000 figure was chosen to avoid adverse impacts on federal matching calculations and that NDE and VR coordinated on the amount. VR supplied a program summary and said historically the agency’s investments return about $3.25 to Nebraska taxpayers for each $1 spent through VR services, based on wage and tax multipliers for successful employment outcomes.

Next steps: The Appropriations Committee received the proposal and NDE/VR said they would work with the sponsor on operational details and reporting to evaluate pilot outcomes.