US Labor Department awards up to $8M to aid clean-up, recovery effort in 46 Missouri counties after damage caused by April, May storms

State: Missouri

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Total Amount Approved: $8 million

Initial Amount Released: $2.7 million

Funding Awarded to: The Missouri Division of Workforce Development

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 250

Use of Funds: The U.S. Department of Labor approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $8 million – with $2.7 million released initially – to create disaster relief employment to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts in response to storm damage that affected 46 Missouri counties between late April and mid-May 2017. The project will assist with clean-up, demolition, repair, renovation and reconstruction of destroyed public structures, facilities and lands.

The counties eligible for assistance under this grant are Barry, Barton, Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Howell, Iron, Jefferson, Lawrence, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Morgan, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Pulaski, Ralls, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Louis, Shannon, Stone, Taney, Texas, Washington, Wayne, Webster and Wright.

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.