US Department of Labor announces $4M funding award to assist recovery of Cherokee Nation’s workforce

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the supplemental award of $4 million, with $1.3 million released initially, to the Cherokee Nation to support continued disaster-relief employment and workforce development in response to the pandemic’s impacts on its people.

In July 2020, the department awarded a $3 million National Dislocated Worker Grant to the Cherokee Nation. Today’s initial release of supplemental funding brings the total released to the Cherokee Nation for this DWG to $4.3 million.

The Cherokee Nation will use funding to deliver employment and training services and provide humanitarian support to eligible individuals. It is the largest tribe in the U.S., with more than 390,000 tribal citizens worldwide, with approximately 114,000 residing in northeastern Oklahoma.

The award is one of 64 National Dislocated Worker Grants made by the department to help address the coronavirus public health emergency impacts on the U.S. workforce. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provided $345 million for Dislocated Worker Grants to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2020, emergency declarations issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency enabled the Cherokee Nation to request this funding.   

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, DWGs temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large and unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.