Department awards $3.4M to help re-employ workers affected by coal mining industry layoffs in Kentucky

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the funding of a supplemental National Dislocated Worker Grant of $3.4 million to provide for reemployment and training services for Kentucky coal mine workers. The new funding will assist current program participants as well as an additional 797 participants hurt by recent layoffs.

In March 2013, Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Programs, Inc. received $3.7 million to provide targeted services for workers after layoffs in the region’s coal mining industry. Changes in the coal industry and power sector since then have led to additional layoffs, creating the need for further funding. On May 30, 2014, the department awarded an additional $7,549,409. The planned participant level was then also increased to 2,000. On Nov. 10, 2015, the department awarded supplemental funding of $2,750,000, and increased the planned number of participants to 2,403.

Today’s supplemental award will bring the total amount of funding for this program to more than $17 million, serving a total of 3,200 dislocated workers.

Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Programs will continue providing reemployment and training services to current program participants and extend services to more workers as layoffs continue. Traditional career and supportive services will be provided, as well as training for in-demand jobs in field such as business services, construction, energy and health care.  

This funding is part of the Obama administration’s efforts to target federal assistance to coal communities and workers harmed by a decades-long trend of job losses. The grant complements the POWER+ Plan proposed in the president’s FY 2016 and FY 2017 budgets and a $2 million award from the department to the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2015 as part of the POWER Initiative. The award helps support a state-led initiative to maximize the economic and workforce development benefits of building an expanded broadband infrastructure in Eastern Kentucky.

The NDWG program is part of the U.S. secretary of labor’s discretionary fund. The department awards grants based on a state’s ability to meet specific guidelines.