YouthBuild McLean County

What YouthBuild McLean County does

YouthBuild McLean County (YBMC, Inc.) is a nonprofit organization and charter school headquartered at 360 Wylie Drive, Normal, Illinois, founded in 1994 and serving McLean County. It operates an educational program that combines high school equivalency instruction, hands-on construction job-site training, and community service for educationally and economically disadvantaged youth, with charter-school enrollment capped at 100 students selected via lottery when applications exceed capacity. In 2026 the organization expanded its scope by launching the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program at YBMC, an 8-week, 200-hour construction training track offering OSHA-10, First Aid/CPR, and NCCER credentials, and targeting adults over 18 with two cohorts of approximately 33 participants planned for June and August 2026.

The organization's core products are the YouthBuild McLean County Charter School and the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program at YBMC, supported by Construction Job Site Training, Student Enrollment, Records Release, and Volunteer programs. The training curriculum is delivered through an affiliation with YouthBuild USA and incorporates NCCER industry-recognized content; mental health support is provided via a partnership with Blue Skies Counseling (Rebecca Lynn), and apprenticeship placement is routed through Local Workforce Area 14 and regional unions and contractors. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed.

The business model is grant-funded nonprofit with no participant fees. Revenue streams documented in the input include a $350,000 state grant from the State of Illinois (Jan 2026) renewable for up to two additional cycles, plus contributions and pass-through funding from Americorps, HUD, United Way, McLean County, State Farm, U.S. Department of Labor, Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, PNC, and Telligen Community Initiative. Leadership comprises Executive Director Tracey Polson and CFO Michelle Klatt, supported by approximately 18 staff across education, construction, student services, and administration. YBMC, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not have a parent company or subsidiaries.

Name

YouthBuild McLean County

Legal name

YBMC, Inc.

Website

https://youthbuildmcleancounty.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YouthBuild McLean County is a nonprofit charter school in Normal, Illinois, founded in 1994, that serves educationally and economically disadvantaged youth (and now adults over 18) with a free, grant-funded combination of high school equivalency education, hands-on construction training, and apprenticeship placement in McLean County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Alternative Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB), Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Workforce development
• Charter school education
• Construction pre-apprenticeship
• Youth education services
• Vocational skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Normal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. State Grant Funding: YouthBuild McLean County received a $350,000 state grant to launch a pre-apprenticeship construction training program. The grant is renewable for up to two additional cycles. The organization appears to be primarily grant-funded as a nonprofit educational institution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

YouthBuild McLean County operates a tuition-free charter school and pre-apprenticeship program for educationally and economically disadvantaged youth and adults over 18 in McLean County, Illinois. It combines high school equivalency education, hands-on construction training (carpentry, OSHA-10, CPR/First Aid, NCCER credentials), career readiness, and community service, then places graduates into accredited apprenticeships with local businesses and unions.

Product overview

YouthBuild McLean County operates primarily as an educational and workforce development organization, not a technology company. The organization offers a unified pre-apprenticeship program combining construction training (Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program), charter school education, and community service. The portfolio consists of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program at YBMC as the primary training offering, supplemented by YouthBuild McLean County Charter School for education, student enrollment services, volunteer programs, and records management services. These programs work together to serve educationally and economically disadvantaged students through construction skills training, certifications, and career pathway support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illinois Works at YBMC: Pre-apprenticeship program at YouthBuild McLean County offering 200 hours of construction and safety training with industry certifications including OSHA-10, First Aid/CPR, and NCCER credentials.

Products and services

• Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program at YBMC An 8-week (200-hour) pre-apprenticeship construction training program that teaches carpentry, first aid, OSHA-10 safety, CPR, and NCCER-aligned trade skills to people over 18, leading to state certifications and placement into accredited apprenticeship programs with local businesses and unions.
• YouthBuild McLean County Charter School A charter school program that combines high school equivalency education, construction skills training, and community service for educationally and economically disadvantaged students aged 16–24.
• Student Enrollment Program An online enrollment and admission service that allows prospective students to apply to join YouthBuild McLean County, with a lottery system engaged when applicants exceed available slots.
• Records Release Service A transcript and records request service for current and former YouthBuild students, processed within 10 business days upon proper authorization.
• Volunteer Program A program offering community members opportunities to volunteer and support YouthBuild McLean County students and program operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants complete 8-week pre-apprenticeship program and advance to accredited apprenticeship programs with local businesses or unions

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blue Skies CounselingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Skies Counseling, led by Rebecca Lynn, provides mental health services to YouthBuild McLean County students to address their mental health needs during the program.
• Local Workforce Area 14coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYBMC is a partner agency with local workforce area 14, providing workforce development services. For more information on accessing services in the local workforce area, visit centralillinoishelps.com.
• YouthBuild USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational YouthBuild organization providing program support, resources, and affiliation to the local McLean County chapter.
• Illinois Housing Development AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency supporting housing and community development programs.
• NCCERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Center for Construction Education and Research provides industry-recognized credentials and curriculum for construction training programs.
• HCCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education or training partner providing educational support.
• Project OzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal agency partner providing youth and family services.
• LEEDEPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal education and economic development partnership organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Big Picture Learning: National network of alternative schools using project-based and internship-driven learning for at-risk and non-traditional students. Comparable alternative education philosophy, broader across subjects, not trades-focused.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free IT training and career pathways to adults from underserved communities. Comparable tuition-free training model and target population, but IT rather than construction trades.
• NPower: National nonprofit providing technology-focused workforce training for underserved young adults and veterans. Comparable workforce development mission and target demographic, but tech-focused rather than construction.
• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit serving low-income young adults with training and employer partnerships. Comparable mission and target population, but Year Up focuses on corporate/tech pathways rather than construction trades.
• Job Corps: Federal workforce development program for at-risk youth ages 16-24, offering education and vocational training including construction trades. Comparable population and outcomes focus, but operates as a federal program at residential centers.

Direct peers

• Helmets to Hardhats: National nonprofit connecting transitioning military members and veterans to construction apprenticeships. Highly comparable construction pre-apprenticeship model, though target population differs (veterans vs. at-risk youth).
• Cristo Rey Network: National network of Catholic high schools serving low-income urban youth through work-study integrated education. Comparable model of alternative K-12 education for economically disadvantaged students, though primarily private/Catholic.
• YouthBuild USA: National umbrella organization for the YouthBuild network; YBMC is an affiliate chapter. Directly comparable as both operate charter-based alternative education with construction training for at-risk youth.

Regional players

• Construct: Regional construction industry-supported pre-apprenticeship program in the Midwest providing tuition-free construction training to underrepresented populations. Comparable construction pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship placement model.
• Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT): Regional nonprofit providing pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways into skilled construction trades for women and underrepresented groups in the Chicago metro. Comparable construction trades pre-apprenticeship model, regional scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/youthbuild.mclean
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthbuildmcleancounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthbuild-mclean-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YouthBuild McLean County