$1.6M grant to help Boeing workers, bolster Washington state economy

WASHINGTON – To help bolster the economy of Washington state’s Puget Sound region, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has approved $1,666,275 in funding for reemployment and training services for workers affected by layoffs at Boeing Co., facilities.

In March, Boeing announced a layoff of 245 workers, and the company, the largest employer in the Puget Sound region, anticipates monthly layoffs averaging the same number of workers over the next 12 months. To support the region, the U.S. Department of Labor will provide a National Dislocated Worker Grant for re-employment and training services in King and Snohomish counties, where Boeing operates plants.

The funding will also assist with the operation of a centrally located job service center in Lynnwood that will serve Boeing workers. The facility will have sector-focused career services, apprenticeship information sessions and short-term skills workshops.

All workers targeted for reemployment services through this grant have been certified as eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance. Workers co-enrolled in the TAA program, as well as this grant project, will have access to services not available through the TAA program alone.

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 that 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.