labor lawAdivision of labor law center

A new program called Southern Illinois Works will enhance employment opportunities in some 20 Illinois counties. Southern Illinois will benefit from a $250,000 National Emergency Grant to boost training and development in 20 counties. 

Days ago, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the grant to establish Southern Illinois Works (SI WORKS), a program to promote employment in the largely rural southern half of the state. While Northern Illinois, including the vibrant Chicago area, has a rosy employment outlook, workers have often struggled to find well-paying jobs in the southern part of the state.

“Talent development strategies that are focused regionally, rather than locally, expand workers” employment and advancement opportunities,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “The SI WORKS team will identify and target growing industries’ competency and skill needs, and design talent development strategies to educate and prepare Southern Illinois’ workforce to succeed in the 21st century economy.”

The U. S. Department of Labor grant was officially awarded to the Southern Illinois Workforce Investment Board to support the creation of SI WORKS, a new strategic partnership. SI WORKS will help laid-off workers to quickly transition into new jobs, often providing the training for them to move into new industries.

The mission of SI WORKS is to develop plans to establish an innovative regional economy that is competitive with that in other parts of the state. The program will accomplish this by creating a “robust healthcare system that utilizes the area’s talent and growing population.” SI WORKS will work to reduce plant closures and employee lay-offs, and minimize the impact when they do occur.

This grant is made possible through the Regional Innovation Grants program designed to assist state workforce agencies and local workforce investment boards, and their strategic partners, in the design and development of regional strategic plans. The mission of the programs is to develop workforce talent to meet the demands of the economy in the 21^st century.

This was just the most recent of a series of National Emergency Grants awarded by Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. In September, a $3 million grant went to provide temporary jobs and benefits to workers in parts of Minnesota ravaged by flash floods.

More than 400 workers laid off by Micron Technology, Inc. in Boise, Idaho received assistance through a grant of more than $2 million. The U.S. Department of Labor immediately released $847,538 of the grant to assist workers dislocated by the layoffs. The total grant is for $2,010,277.

“This $2 million grant will provide these Idaho workers with skills training, career counseling and other employment services to help them find and succeed in new jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced a grant of more than $1.2 million to assist some 246 Rhode Island workers who were displaced by layoffs at the Brooks Eckerd corporate offices in Warwick. The layoffs are due to acquisition of Brooks Eckerd by Rite Aid.

Two grants totaling more than $1.94 million went to benefit workers in Massachusetts and Missouri. The emergency grants helped provide a number of job resources to workers who are unemployed due to plant closings. In addition, the DOL has ruled that these workers are eligible for additional assistance under TAA, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.

Regional Innovation Grants are a part of the National Emergency Grant program. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, National Emergency Grants (NEG) are discretionary awards by the Secretary of Labor. The grants temporarily expand service capacity at the state and local levels through time-limited funding assistance in response to “significant dislocation events.” When a layoff, plant closing or other event creates a need beyond what the state can reasonably be expected to meet, the state may apply for an Emergency Grant.  In order for a state to qualify, any discretionary funds available at the state level must be included in the state’s resources.

 

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