US Department of Labor announces $1.7M incremental award for pandemic-related employment, workforce training, humanitarian support in Guam

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an incremental award of $1.7 million to the Government of Guam to support continued disaster-relief employment and workforce development in response to the effects of the pandemic in the U.S. territory.

The department’s Employment and Training Administration – which administers the National Dislocated Worker Grant – released an initial award of $1.5 million in April 2020. In February 2021, the department announced a $1.7 million initial release of a supplemental award of up to $5.3 million.

The incremental award announced today brings the total project funds awarded to more than $5 million. Guam will use the funds to deliver employment and training services, and provide humanitarian support to eligible individuals.   

The grant is one of 64 National Dislocated Worker Grants the department has made to help address the workforce-related impacts of the coronavirus public health emergency. 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 Government of Guam to request this funding.  

National Dislocated Worker Grants expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels temporarily by providing assistance in response to unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 supports the grants.