US Labor Department grant awards up to $7M for clean-up, recovery efforts after California’s severe storms in January

State: California

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Award Amount Approved: $7,000,000

Initial Amount Released: $3,500,000

Funding Awarded to: California Employment Development Department

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 350

Use of Funds: The U.S. Department of Labor has approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant award for $7 million – with $3,500,000 released initially – to the California Employment Development Department to create temporary jobs in clean-up and recovery efforts after severe storms affected several southern counties from Jan. 18-23, 2017. The project’s recovery activities target seven of the eligible counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Mateo and Santa Barbara.

The funds will provide for temporary employment on projects to assist with clean-up, demolition, repair, renovation and reconstruction of destroyed public structures, facilities and lands within the affected communities. They will support delivery of humanitarian aid and safety assistance as needed.

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.