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) to provide employment-related services for dislocated workers. The Department funds two types of DWGs: Disaster Recovery and Employment Recovery.
Disaster Recovery DWGs provide funding to create temporary employment opportunities to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts when an area impacted by an emergency or major disaster is declared eligible for public assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), or is declared, or otherwise recognized, as an emergency or disaster of national significance by a Federal agency with authority or jurisdiction over Federal response to the disaster or emergency.
Employment Recovery DWGs temporarily expand capacity to serve dislocated workers and to meet the increased demand for employment and training services following a qualifying event. Qualifying events include major economic dislocations, such as plant closures, mass layoffs, or higher-than-average demand for employment and training activities for dislocated members of the Armed Forces and their spouses. Under 20 CFR 687.110(a)(5), the Secretary of Labor may determine other major dislocations eligible for Employment Recovery DWGs.
Eligibility varies depending upon the type of National Dislocated Worker Grant requested, as noted below. Please reference the text of TEGL 12-19 for additional requirements. Disaster Recovery DWGs: 1. States, as defined by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in Section 3(56);2. Outlying areas as defined by WIOA, Section 3(45); and,3. Indian tribal governments as defined by the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(6) Employment Recovery DWGs: 1. a state or outlying area (as defined by WIOA, Section 3), or a consortium of states;2. a local Workforce Development Board (WDB) or a consortium of WDBs;3. an entity eligible for funding through the Indian and Native American program in WIOA Section 166(c);4. entities determined to be appropriate by the governor of the state or outlying area involved; and,5. entities that demonstrate to the Secretary of Labor their capability to effectively respond to circumstances related to particular dislocations.