US Labor Department awards $4M in incremental funding to continue clean-up, recovery efforts after California’s 2015 fires

State: California

Type of Award: National Dislocated Worker Grant

Initial Amount Approved: $11,000,000

Incremental Amount Awarded: $4,000,000

Funding Awarded to: California Employment Development Department

Number of Workers Served: Approximately 550

Use of Funds: The U.S. Department of Labor approved a National Dislocated Worker Grant award for up to $11 million, with $2 million released initially, on Oct. 23, 2015, to provide disaster relief employment to help with clean-up and recovery efforts following widespread fires in Valley and Butte, which began in September 2015.

On Aug. 22, 2016, the department awarded another increment of $2 million for the continuation of disaster relief employment. With this incremental award, the California Employment Development Department will receive $4,000,000 to continue this effort, bringing the total funds awarded to date for this project to $8,000,000.

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 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.