US Labor Department awards $13M for re-employment services for Texas workers affected by decline in oil and gas industry

State: Texas

Type of award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial amount released: $13,293,207

Total amount approved: $16,309,807

Funding awarded to: Texas Workforce Commission

Number of workers served: Approximately 4,191

Use of funds: The U.S. Department of Labor approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant award with an initial release of $13,293,207 – of a total approved amount of $16,309,807 – to the Texas Workforce Commission. The grant will provide re-employment services to dislocated workers impacted by the downturn in the state’s oil and gas industry.

Since 2014, the Texas oil and gas industry has been in decline as oil prices continue to fall which, in turn, has led to layoffs for workers employed by oil and gas extraction companies and related industries. One area of focus for this project will be small rural communities whose economies rely heavily on income of oil and gas industry workers.

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 that cause significant job losses. The grants generally provide resources to states and local workforce investment boards to re-employ laid-off workers quickly by offering training to increase occupational skills.