US Labor Department awards $2M to aid clean-up, recovery effort in Arkansas after damage caused by April, May storms

State: Arkansas

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Amount Approved/Awarded: $2,060,000

Funding Awarded to: Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 103

Use of Funds: The U.S. Department of Labor approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant for $2,060,000 to create disaster relief employment to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts in response to damage in 11 of 28 counties affected by storms between late April and May 2017.

The disaster relief employment will assist with clean-up, demolition, repair, renovation and reconstruction of destroyed public structures, facilities and lands in Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Independence, Izard, Madison, Marion, Newton, Washington and Woodruff counties.

Background: Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 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.