Kentucky to receive up to nearly $4M in additional funding for continued reemployment services to dislocated coal workers

State: Kentucky

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant supplemental

Additional Amount Awarded: $3,853,620

Total Funds Awarded: $4,952,420

Funding Awarded to: Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 250

Use of Funds: On Sept. 5, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded a Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $2 million – with $1,098,800 released initially – to assist workers hurt by layoffs by three eastern Kentucky coal mining operators.

This award features an incremental amount of $901,200, the remainder of the initially approved amount of $2 million, and a supplemental amount of $2,952,420, bringing the total additional amount awarded to $3,853,620. The total amount awarded to date for this project is $4,952,420.

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.