WASHINGTON — Six states will receive grants totaling $14,911,243 to improve employment opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Labor announced today. The grants to Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, New York and Washington are being awarded as part of the Disability Employment Initiative, a joint initiative of the department's Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy.

WASHINGTON — Last month, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez met a young Camden man named Donny during a visit to New Jersey to tour the facilities of YouthBuild Camden. Before YouthBuild, Donny felt he was on the wrong path and headed toward a life on the streets.

State: Missouri

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Released: $1,003,000

Total Award Amount Approved: Up to $3,280,823

Funding Awarded to: Missouri Division of Workforce Development

Number of Workers to Be Served: About 175

State: Maine

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Supplemental Amount Released: $336,233

Initial Award Amount Released: $284,879

Funding Awarded to: Maine Department of Labor

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 262

WASHINGTON — Education and job training are among the surest pathways to the middle class. To mark the beginning of the school year, the President, the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, and Secretary Arne Duncan will travel across the country in the coming days to highlight the need for affordable, quality career and education choices for students and to discuss some of the many ways the Administration is working to provide all Americans with the skills and knowledge they need to acquire good-paying jobs and grow the economy.

State: Arkansas

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Released: $740,000

Total Award Amount Approved: $2.2 million

Funding Awarded to: Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 111

Territory: Northern Mariana Islands

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Released: $500,000

Total Award Amount Approved: $6 million

Funding Awarded to: Northern Mariana Islands Workforce Investment Agency

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 300

State: Texas

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Released: $718,356

Total Award Amount Approved: $2,155,068

Funding Awarded to: Texas Workforce Commission

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 120

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking nominations for members of the new Workforce Information Advisory Council. The council is being established as required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, enacted on July 22, 2014.

WASHINGTON — Now well into its fourth year, one of the worst droughts in California in more than a century continues to cause economic insecurity for many families in the region, particularly in the agriculture sector. A recent University of California Davis study estimates 18,000 people lost jobs because of drought.

WASHINGTON —In many of our nation's cities, youth unemployment rates are twice, or even three times the national average. While others in our nation see a return to prosperity, a large number of young Americans risk falling behind. Without specific actions to combat the problem, critically high jobless rates can lead to hopelessness and despair. Recent civil unrest in Baltimore has further highlighted the need to expand opportunity for the city's youth and young adults.

WASHINGTON — In many of our nation's cities, youth unemployment rates are twice, or even three times the national average. While others in our nation see a return to prosperity, a large number of young Americans risk falling behind. Without specific actions to combat the problem, critically high jobless rates can lead to hopelessness and despair.

To address these issues, the U.S. Department of Labor is making $1,740,090 available to the state of Texas to fund a demonstration project for youth in the city of Houston.