The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded an additional $4 million in funding to support disaster-relief jobs and continued employment and training for North Carolina residents affected in September 2024 when Hurricane Helene brought the worst flooding in a century to the area.
In October 2024, the department’s Employment and Training Administration awarded the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions a National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $10 million, with an initial award of $2 million, to support cleanup and recovery activities in 38 counties declared eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The department announced a second incremental award of $4 million in April 2025.
This Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant allows the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions to provide temporary jobs focused on cleanup and recovery efforts, and offer employment and training services to storm survivors.
Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants provide state or local board funding for direct services and assistance in areas experiencing major economic dislocation events that leads to workforce needs exceeding available resources.