US Department of Labor awards Pennsylvania $2.9M in funding to support employment, training services in communities affected by opioid crisis

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $2.9 million in grant funding to Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry to assist people affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

With opioids involved in 84.4 percent of its 5,158 fatal overdoses in 2022, Pennsylvania cites the opioid overdose epidemic as its worst public health crisis in almost a generation. 

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant announced today – with an approved funding threshold of more than $8.7 million – will serve communities across Pennsylvania by creating disaster-relief positions to address local workforce effects of the opioid crisis. 

Funds will also support employment and training services for dislocated workers experiencing long-term unemployment and other workforce barriers resulting from the opioid crisis. This project will be operated by 11 Workforce Development Boards and will serve participants in communities across Pennsylvania.

In October 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, enabling Pennsylvania to request this funding. 

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