PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — As part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Rhode Island will now receive $2,326,005 for employment and training services for workers laid off due to the effects of COVID-19.
The funding was announced Thursday by Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation, Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline.
The so-called Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG) are coming from the U.S. Department of Labor, and will go to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) to help dislocated workers, self-employed people who became unemployed or underemployed, and long-term unemployed individuals.
Reed said the funding will help in the redevelopment of the state workforce.
The disaster DWGs usually create temporary jobs in cleanup and recovery from natural disasters or emergencies; in the case of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, it can help with virus cleanup and mitigation as well as humanitarian assistance and job training.
In Rhode Island, the $2.3 million is in addition to an allocation of $4.57 million for public safety agencies and an allocation of $1.25 billion for the state budget, hospital funding, and checks for residents.
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