Ohio Awarded $8.5M in Dislocated Worker Grants

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Ohio $8.5 million in funding for Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants to help address the workforce-related impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The grants are funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided $345 million for Dislocated Worker Grants to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus. In a statement released Tuesday morning, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who supported the Cares Act, called the $8.5 million in grants “good news” for Ohioans.

“As we continue to safely reopen, these funds will help displaced workers around the state get the training they need to find meaningful employment,” Portman said in the statement. “Ultimately, this grant will help us restart our economy by getting Ohioans back to work. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure Ohioans have the resources they need during these uncertain times.”

This latest award follows five waves of funding, bringing the total amount awarded to $238,881,438. Ohio, Indiana and Iowa will receive funding with this wave.

“As states continue to reopen, we hope they see the value in using these funds to assist with the reemployment of displaced workers, and helping to restart their local economies,” Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Pallasch said in a statement. “With millions of businesses once again open and serving customers, these grants can help facilitate getting Americans back to work.”

Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants, or DWGs, may provide eligible participants disaster-relief employment to address coronavirus impacts within their communities, as well as employment and training activities. Employment Recovery DWGs provide reemployment services to eligible individuals affected by mass layoffs, such as those resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

Pictured: Jm Webb, of Viking Painting, paints the exterior of a house, Friday, June 5, 2020, in Euclid, Ohio. U.S. unemployment dropped unexpectedly in May to 13.3% as reopened businesses began recalling millions of workers faster than economists had predicted, triggering a rally Friday on Wall Street. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.