Recovery Grant Funds Aid Dislocated Workers in Finding New Opportunities
January 27, 2022
In April 2020, 18.2 percent of Pierce County workers lost jobs to COVID-19-related closures. As the county moved to reopen, the local workforce system worked to assist more than 150,000 people who filed unemployment claims in May of the same year.
The award of a federal Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker grant came as good news to WorkForce Central, the administrative arm of the local workforce development system that includes a network of partner agencies providing workforce services through the WorkSource Pierce system. These services were a ray of hope for many displaced workers.
The grant money helped WorkForce Central and its partners expand employment and training efforts in Pierce County. The workforce system shifted operations to provide services online and over the phone during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collectively, the system in Pierce County offered job search support, mentoring, and learning opportunities that lead to skilled employment. Particular emphasis was put on serving dislocated workers needing training for new types of employment.
The grant funding was put to good use. In almost every quarter the number of participants was more than double the anticipated number. In total, Workforce Central helped more than 260 people and spent more than $420,000 to do so.
Outreach activities stemming from this grant included targeting populations who were temporarily or permanently laid off because of COVID-19. WorkForce Central sought to enroll eligible job seekers interested in engaging in the Disaster Relief Employment opportunities with various partners. Outreach was conducted through various methods, including drive-through resource fairs, Rapid Response events, Virtual Work Experience workshops, and distribution of Disaster Relief job opportunity flyers throughout the community.
There were many successes that came from this response. We would like to shine a spotlight on a few individuals who were impacted through the Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker grant.
Ed is an example of a comprehensive response to a global pandemic as it affected the local economic landscape. Ed had been out of work since November 2020. He enrolled in WorkSource programs in May 2021 through the Disaster Recovery grant. He was very interested in participating in one of the Disaster Relief Employment positions. He submitted his application for a couple positions, but he was not selected. Ed continued his own individual job search, interviewed a few times but found no success in gaining employment. He worked with his Career Advisor on interviewing techniques and mock interviewing. After submitting his application, he got the call for an interview with Goodwill for the Digital Literacy Navigator position in mid-August. He continued to work on mock interviewing and interviewing techniques to prepare for the interview. In the end, Ed was offered the position with Goodwill and started on September 1, 2021. His supervisor said they are very pleased with the job Ed is doing, and they are hopeful they will be able to locate funding to hire him into a permanent position soon.
Genee found success through the WorkSource Pierce system. Her Career Advisor connected Genee to training in project management and gave her resources to land a temporary position with the local Health Department. She recently shared with her Career Advisor that her supervisor asked her to present to several Community Based Organizations and the Washington Association of Health, and her supervisor is creating a permanent position for her! Genee shares that all this success is “due to the support of you [her Career Advisor] and WorkSource Pierce.”
Mesheela is another success story to come from targeted assistance available because of the Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker grant. Mesheela worked with her Career Advisor and Work Experience Site Coordinator to prepare for interviews and received assistance obtaining professional clothing. She started a full-time position as a Customer Care Coordinator with Career TEAM and is excelling in her new role. Mesheela is still actively engaged in WorkSource programs to further her training and career pathway.
WorkForce Central bridges the gap between job seekers, employers, and community organizations to build a robust workforce pipeline and ensure economic vitality across the region. We strive to enhance the quality of services offered across the system to ensure consistent, effective experiences for its stakeholders, cultivating economic prosperity for clients. Economic stability brings security to the community, and we are honored to have a role in that development.
