California to receive $13M in supplemental funding to continue temporary employment services to workers affected by ongoing drought

State: California

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant supplemental

Supplemental Amount Approved: $13 million    

Total Funds Awarded: $31 million

Funding Awarded to:  California Employment Development Department

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 1,600

Use of Funds: On July 17, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $18 million with $3 million released initially to the California Employment Development Department to provide temporary employment of eligible individuals to assist with the cleanup and recovery efforts related to California’s long-term drought. The grant also provided funds for reemployment services to participants in need of assistance in finding permanent employment.

On Nov. 16, 2015, the department released an incremental award of $6 million, and on Feb. 23, 2016, another incremental award of $9 million, bringing the total funds awarded to the original approved $18 million threshold.

This supplemental award of $13 million brings the total funds awarded for this project to $31 million.

The grant targets 28 counties: Amador, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, Nevada, Plumas, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo and Yuba.

Background: Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, DWGs temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker training and employment programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events which cause significant job losses. DWGs generally provide resources to states and local workforce investment boards to reemploy laid-off workers quickly by offering training to increase occupational skills.