WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner and Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded $1,502,141 in federal funding the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded to the Hampton Roads Workforce Council to support job training and reemployment services for unemployed and underemployed Virginians in Hampton Roads. This funding was provided by DOL’s Comprehensive and Accessible Reemployment through Equitable Employment Recovery (CAREER) National Dislocated Worker Grant program, which supports organizations serving individuals most affected by the economic consequences of COVID-19, in particular those from historically marginalized communities.

“As the economy continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, we must ensure that Virginians most affected by the economic fallout of COVID-19 have access to the resources they need to enter or reenter the workforce,” said the Senators. “We are pleased to see this federal funding go toward helping Virginians access jobs that will be part of our economic recovery.” 

CAREER National Dislocated Worker Grants fund various reemployment services that help job seekers with search assistance, career guidance, and child care and transportation costs. Recipients can deliver training services in classroom, virtual, or work-based settings. They can also use grants to develop or upgrade virtual services, online platforms, data structures, and other technological improvements to support accessibility for job seekers. 

Both Warner and Kaine have been leaders in the Senate on efforts to support job training programs to prepare students for good-paying, in-demand jobs and help Virginians get back to work amid COVID-19. In March, Kaine reintroduced his bipartisan Jumpstart Our Businesses By Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, cosponsored by Warner, legislation to help improve access to job training programs by expanding Pell Grant eligibility. 

###