A unique funding opportunity to aid dislocated workers on this journey is now available thanks to a $7.5 million National Dislocated Worker Grant managed by the Southwestern Commission and Land of Sky Regional Council for an 11-county area of Western North Carolina. 

The grant will help individuals impacted by economic conditions find a new occupation, field, or trade through education and training. The grant funding covers the cost of going back to school or enrolling in certification programs to acquire new skills.

The National Dislocated Worker Grant for WNC also offers financial incentives for employers to provide on-the-job training for dislocated workers. 

The Grant covers a broad range of individuals who have been impacted by economic conditions in the region, from self-employed contractors to spouses of laid-off workers. Examples are provided below, however, anyone who is interested in the opportunities is encouraged to reach out in order to determine eligibility.

• An individual who has been terminated or laid-off.
• A self-employed worker who has been affected by economic conditions in the community.
• Contractors or workers who have been affected by a major economic disruption in the community.
• An individual previously laid-off who has taken a “stop-gap” job with a lower salary than their previous position.
• A family member who was dependent on the income of a dislocated worker in their household and is unemployed or underemployed.
• An individual who has been unemployed for more than 13 weeks.

The National Dislocated Worker Grant for WNC connects employers with eligible workers by providing financial incentives for on-the-job training. Funding is available to off-set a portion of the worker’s salary during the training period. Employers are reimbursed to help defray personnel training costs. Reimbursement for the costs associated with training a new employee is calculated on a sliding scale and depends upon the availability of funds. For example, employers with less than 250 employees can be reimbursed up to 75% of an hourly rate. Grant staff assist the business through all phases of the OJT, striving to provide prompt payments with minimum paperwork. 

Interested employers can visit WNCDislocatedWorkerGrant.com/Contact and fill out the form, or for more information, contact Linda Lamp at [email protected] or Doug Nelson at [email protected].

The National Dislocated Worker Grant is funded through a partnership with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and is part of the Governor’s NC Job Ready initiative.
Source: Mountain Area Workforce Development Board