US Labor Department grant to help displaced Kentucky coal industry workers

State: Kentucky

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Award Amount Approved: $1,989,194

Initial Amount Released: $1,091,153

Funding Awarded to: Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 175

Use of Funds: The U.S. Department of Labor approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $1,989,194, with $1,091,153 released initially, to the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet to provide reemployment services to dislocated Kentucky coal industry workers affected by layoffs.

The funds will serve the counties of Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Todd, Trigg, Union and Webster.

Background: This funding is part of a multi-agency effort to invest federal economic and workforce development resources in communities and regions negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National 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.