Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley is expected to release a proposal Wednesday to expand national service programs in an effort to tackle youth unemployment. The former Maryland governor is aiming to fully fund AmeriCorps to increase the number of service positions to 250,000 by 2020, from its current 75,000, and encourage federal agencies to team up with private industry and academic institutions to create new volunteer opportunities. The proposal also suggests doubling the number of Peace Corps volunteers working outside the U.S., with a focus of recruiting veterans. O’Malley’s plan also proposes that service members who go to college become eligible for an “enhanced” Pell Grants to cover the average cost of attending an in-state public university.
