On September 19 the Little Rock Workforce Development Board (LRWDB) received an initial National Dislocated Worker subgrant award (NDWG-AR25-81) in the amount of $195,302.26 from Arkansas Workforce Connections (AWC). The final grant, which runs through May 2027, will total $909,500.
The grant funds are focused on assisting approximately 25 adults (or more) with career and educational development as they assist with disaster cleanup recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from April 2–22, 2025. The LRWDB will partner closely with the City of Little Rock to administer the grant and accomplish designated goals.
Eligible participants will be individuals that were directly impacted by the disaster (losing either their job, housing, or transportation as a result of the disaster). They will be determined to be long-term unemployed individuals as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor, and they face other serious or chronic barriers to employment or have a deficiency of basic skills.
Those selected for employment will be enrolled in a 1,260 hour “Work Experience” program, where their wages, taxes, insurance and benefits will be subsidized by funds and resources provide through the grant (up to 12 months.) The employer will have the opportunity to “try out” the participant and determine if they are then right for a long-term offer of employment subsequent to the grant funding.
National Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) are discretionary grants awarded by the Secretary of Labor, under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). They provide supplemental funding to enable states and communities 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 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, including public health emergencies.
