August 2021
Mine shutdowns, lay-offs, and strikes, as well as overall contraction in the coal industry has left many miners and their families struggling to find jobs or training opportunities for new career paths. We recognize that many of our staff are fielding inquiries from miners and their families, so have put together these resources for our stakeholders.
CareerOneStop
Sponsored by the Department of Labor, provides a robust set of resources to help people search for jobs, find career and training information, and answer other employment related questions. The site includes access to nearly 2,400 American Job Centers across the country, and also includes links to help users find and file for unemployment benefits and access state job banks.
Links:
CareerOneStop: https://www.careeronestop.org/
Find an American Job Center: https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/local-help.aspx
USA Jobs
Sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), USA Jobs connects job seekers with federal employment opportunities across the U.S. and around the world. USA Jobs posts, on average, over 900 jobs each day. This site provides information on hiring and career paths within the federal government and allows users to set up and save specific job search criteria. In addition, users can sign up to receive email notifications when jobs matching their criteria are posted.
Links:
USA Jobs: https://www.usajobs.gov/
Coalfield Development
Coalfield Development was awarded a $2.5M Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to help impacted communities develop local and regional workforce development solutions. The West Virginia non-profit’s proposal is to use the grant funds and an additional $2.2M in resources to build upon its existing development and career path models to boost skills training and employment by citizens in this highly distressed coal-impacted region.
Links:
Coalfield Development: https://coalfield-development.org/
In addition to the resources above, note that there are additional grant opportunities available to states and other eligible applicants to respond to large, unexpected layoffs or other events causing significant job losses:
Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs): While there are currently no active DWGs targeted to coal communities, states can and do apply for DWGs, including when there is a closure or large-scale mine layoff. For more information about DWGs: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dislocated-workers
Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Grants: The Coalfield Development grant, above, is an example of a WORC grant targeting coal-impacted communities. For more information about WORC grants: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dislocated-workers/grants/workforce-opportunity
American Rescue Plan - Investing in America’s Communities: On July 22, 2021 the U.S. Secretary of Commerce announced a $3 Billion investment to implement a series of programs to help communities build back better from the pandemic, but also includes $300M in funds to coal communities to assist with recovery from the pandemic and to help create new jobs and opportunities. For more information about the American Rescue Plan: https://eda.gov/news/press-releases/2021/07/22/american-rescue-plan-programs.htm
NOTE: If you are aware of other resources appropriate for this list, please forward information to Tracey Teague--teague.tracey@dol.gov.