MDHEWD awarded additional $4M grant for disaster-relief jobs to support Missouri residents impacted by May tornado in St. Louis

The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) was awarded an additional $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday to continue to support disaster-relief jobs for Missouri residents impacted by the tornado that hit the St. Louis area on May 16. The Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant will allow MDHEWD to fund disaster relief employment for eligible participants.

"Several Missouri communities were devastated by severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes last spring, and recovery efforts are still underway for many of those impacted," said Dr. Bennett Boggs, Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. "We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Labor for dedicating additional funds to support Missourians as they continue to recover and rebuild."

MDHEWD is partnering with Local Workforce Development Boards, including the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE), the Workforce Development Board of Southeast Missouri, local elected officials, and community organizations, such as the Urban League, to help eligible individuals find disaster relief employment opportunities.

"We are thankful the U.S. Department of Labor approved the department's full funding request," added Julie Carter, Director of the Office of Workforce Development. "This additional funding will allow us to continue our efforts to support the individuals and communities left heavily impacted by the severe storms."

Individuals interested in learning more about these efforts can email questions to [email protected]. For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, visit recovery.mo.gov.