Louisiana to receive more than $3M in supplemental funding to help continue recovery effort following 2016 severe storms, flooding

State: Louisiana

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Supplemental Amount Approved: $3,252,150

Total Funds Awarded: $4,252,150

Funding Awarded to:Louisiana Workforce Commission

Number of Workers Served:Approximately 275

Use of Funds: On April 11, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded a Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $1,699,317, with $1,000,000 released initially, to provide disaster relief employment, and help with the clean-up and recovery efforts following severe storms and flooding in April 2016 in Louisiana.

This supplemental award of $3,252,150 will allow for the continuation of disaster relief employment for the April storm event, as well as for the severe storms and flooding that occurred in August 2016.  This latest funding brings the total funds awarded for this project to $4,252,150.

Clean-up and recovery work will continue to take place in 37 parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, La Salle, Lafayette, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Richland, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Union, Vermilion, Washington, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana and Winn.

Background: Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants 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. The grants generally provide resources to states and local workforce investment boards to reemploy laid-off workers quickly by offering training to increase occupational skills.