Briefings to Be Held for Dislocated Worker Grants

Are you a not-for-profit or private for-profit business that reduced work hours and/or staff, or shut down as a result of the Kīlauea eruption?

Are you an individual currently under- or unemployed due to your employer reducing work hours as a result of the Kīlauea eruption?

If you answered “yes” to either question, you may be eligible for free employment relief through a US Department of Labor (USDOL) Disaster Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG). This program offers workforce funding to qualified Hawai‘i Island businesses willing and able to employ eligible individual dislocated workers.

On Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, Statewide Rapid Response Coordinator Kayla Rosenfeld, will brief the Volcano, Pāhoa and Hilo communities on the grant. Rosenfeld will explain the grant provisions, eligibility requirements, permitted grant activity, and permitted worksites.

In addition to explaining the grant provisions, the goals of this community briefing are to: 1) determine Businesses of Record (employers) and individual eligibility; 2) identify disaster recovery worksites; and 3) enroll eligible participants into the grant program.  The Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, briefings are scheduled as follows:

• Volcano Village, Cooper Center, 19-4030 Wright Road, Volcano 9 to 11 a.m.
• Pāhoa Community Center, Kauhale Road, Pāhoa 1 to 3 p.m.
• Aupuni Conference Room, 101 Pauahi St., Suite 1, Hilo 5 to 7 p.m.

* A question and answer session will follow each briefing.

After the briefing, staff from the American Job Center Hawaii will be on site to help applicants determine their eligibility for the Disaster DWG program. Business owners, self-employed individuals and farmers, bring all the below documents to the meeting:

• Recent General Excise Tax (GET)
• Recent State and Federal Tax Returns
• Hawai‘i Compliance Express (HCE) Certification
• Layoff or Reduced Hours Letters to Employees
• Farmers:  Letter from product distributor indicating a decrease in production

Under- or unemployed individuals, please bring all the following documents to the meeting:

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) stub or letter
  • If you do not have DUA claim, bring paystubs or other payroll records
• Letter from employer indicating reduced work hours or layoff
• Valid picture ID
• Original Social Security Card OR Original/Certified Birth Certificate
• Selective Service Registration (males 18 -25 years old)
• Utility Bill (cable, electric or water)

To learn more about the Workforce Development Council, visit online.