On August 7 the Department of Labor issued a notice of award to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services (ADWS) for a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) of $5.4 million. A third of grant funds will be made available as of July 1.
The Little Rock Workforce Development (LRWB) will initially receive $255,000 of a $792,000 total grant award to aid the City of Little Rock in hiring 25 employees to clean up parks and public spaces. One-Stop Operator, Arbor E&T, d.b.a. ResCare Workforce Services, will provide case management and payroll services.
On August 23, Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. announced that the 25 workers will be employed for a one-year time period to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts in response to the historic flooding and storm damage from earlier this year. Mayor Scott said that “while it is unfortunate that the city sustained damage as a result of the extensive flooding, the grant will help the city recover and put some residents to work.”
The City’s Human Resources and Parks and Recreation staff will focus efforts on hiring persons who were dislocated or have experienced long-term unemployment – including homeless and re-entering residents – through its partnerships with the LRWDB, Canvas Community Church, Jericho Way, and the Little Rock Re-entry Program.
