Coal miners

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a $7.4 million National Emergency Grant (NEG) to WorkForce West Virginia to provide retraining and reemployment services to dislocated coal miners and displaced homemakers impacted by mass layoffs and coal mine closures. The grant will help participants find new career paths outside of the coal mining industry and long-term reemployment opportunities.

About the grant

The grant provides up to $5,000 per participant for Classroom Occupational Skills Training in an occupation expected to be high demand, such as Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Welding, Electrical Engineering, HVAC, Diesel Technology, Chemical Processor, etc. Participants who meet training program attendance requirements will be eligible for training allowances to cover the cost of gas, food, child care, etc. at the rate of $20 per day for the days attending class, up to $100 per week.

Who qualifies as a displaced homemaker?

The term “displaced homemaker” means an individual who has been providing unpaid services to family members in the home and who has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income; and is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment. As a result of the lost income or dramatic reduction in income, it may be necessary for a spouse or another member of the family living in the household, to obtain employment or participate in occupational skills training that would make them marketable to find employment in order to support the family. Displaced Homemakers may be a spouse or another member of the family living in the home.

Not sure what you would be interested in? Click here to see jobs that are in demand in West Virginia.

Eligibility

To be determined eligible, contact the local WorkForce West Virginia office in your area.

Learn how this Grant has Helped Others

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Trade assistance: Help for those affected by foreign imports or shifts of production outside the United States

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) helps those who became unemployed due to layoffs as a result of foreign imports or a shift of production out of the United States. Workers are eligible for TAA program services if a petition submitted on behalf of the workers is certified by the U.S. Department of Labor, determining that the workers were separated from their employment due to foreign competition.

Benefits and services

• Training: Training consists of one Occupational Skills training plan, but may include a group of courses (components) related to a specific Occupational Goal. Training may be in form of classroom, on-line (distance learning) training, or on-the-job training. All training must be approved in advance by Workforce West Virginia’s State Trade Unit.
• Travel Allowance: May be eligible to receive a daily mileage allowance to assist with travel costs while attending training outside the normal commuting distance.
• Subsistence Allowance: May be eligible to receive a room and board expenses while attending training outside the normal commuting distance.
• Supply Allowance: May be eligible to receive a reimbursement per quarter/semester/term/session of up to $150.00 for training related supplies.
• TRA Benefits: May be eligible to receive up to 130 weeks of Income Support payments. Trade Readjustment Assistance (TRA) is administered by WorkForce West Virginia’s Unemployment Insurance Division.
• Job Search Allowance: May be eligible for a reimbursement up to 90% for travel, meals, and lodging expenses. Maximum amount of reimbursement cannot exceed $1,250 for prearranged interviews beyond the normal commuting distance, and must be approved, in advance, by the WorkForce West Virginia’s State TAA Unit.
• Relocation Allowance: You must have accepted a job outside your normal commuting distance and receive prior approval from the WorkForce West Virginia’s TAA Unit for your relocation. You will receive up to 90% of reasonable and necessary expenses, and you will receive a lump sum of three (3) times your former average weekly wage, not to exceed $1,250 for the move.
• Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance (RTAA): A wage subsidy program offered to workers 50 years or older. The wage subsidy may not exceed $10,000 or two years, whichever occurs first. If you participate in the RTAA program, you can still attend training.

For more information,

Workforce West Virginia State TAA Unit - 1-877-967-5498

doleta.gov