State Allocating $2M to Assist Laid-Off Coal Workers

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry was awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Dislocated Worker Grant to be used for re-employment assistance for about 1,100 workers impacted by layoffs attributed to the downturn of the coal industry in southwestern Pennsylvania

2016-01-AP_572177480856.jpg

By Patty Tascarella

Pittsburgh Business Times

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry was awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Dislocated Worker Grant to be used for re-employment assistance for about 1,100 workers impacted by layoffs attributed to the downturn of the coal industry in southwestern Pennsylvania.

L&I said on Tuesday it will disperse this grant to three workforce development boards — Southwest Corner, Westmoreland Fayette and Southern Alleghenies. These WDBs will, in turn, disburse the funds to re-employment programs for affected dislocated workers.

“The coal industry is an important part of Pennsylvania’s economy, and when there is a downturn, we must assist workers in their effort to gain employment,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a prepared statement. “These grants will help workers develop individual employment plans that will help to keep them in the workforce.”

Read full coverage here.