The Department of Labor is announcing the availability of up to $35 million for Dislocated Worker Opportunity Grants (DWOGs).
Individual awards will be up to 4. 3 million, and will be based on each applicant’s share of calendar year 2016 monthly averages of the Civilian Labor Force (CLF),
credit:
as well as unemployment levels.
A weighting of 50 percent will be assigned to both CLF and unemployment.
The purpose of this funding is to enable eligible applicants to serve dislocated workers, who are unemployed and seeking reentry into the workforce, with career services and training which increases their skill levels to become competitive for growing or high-demand employment opportunities.
These grants will be funded through the National Dislocated Worker Grant program.
National Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) are discretionary grants awarded by the Secretary of Labor under section 170 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
DWGs provide time-limited employment and training assistance to dislocated workers in response to major economic dislocations or other events that affect the U. S. workforce, and which cannot be accommodated with WIOA formula funds or other relevant existing resources.
For the purpose of the DWOG solicitation, the Department has recognized the impact of ongoing smaller dislocation events over time as a major dislocation event eligible for DWG assistance.
The primary goals of the DWOGs are:
1. ) to expand opportunities for dislocated workers to upgrade skills that lead to employment or industry-recognized credentials in growing or high-demand industries and occupations; and, 2. ) to address the skill gaps faced by employers in growing or high-demand industries.
In order to support an American economy that provides opportunity for all, worker skills must align with the needs of growing or high-demand industries.
DWOGs will focus on job training that provides dislocated workers, who are unlikely to return to previous occupations, an opportunity to retool and re-engage in high-growth sectors of the economy.