On August 27, Workforce Florida Inc. (WFI) put out an alert to our network of Community-Based and Faith-Based umbrella/intermediary organizations announcing “Free” Staffing Help for FBCOs in Hurricane-Devastated Areas [ go to http://www.workforceflorida.com/
wfi/gateway/0234_040823alert.htm ] That alert described the $50 Million National Emergency Grant (NEG) awarded by the US Department of Labor to fund temporary jobs to help with post-hurricane cleanup and humanitarian assistance. We were inviting FBCOs in the Charley-impacted areas to make contact with their respective Regional Workforce Boards’ (RWB) Executive staff to place “job orders” for temp workers to assist you with cleanup and other aid to victims. Additionally FBCOs were being invited to refer workers who lost jobs due to the hurricane or were long-term unemployed to the RWBs to be hired as temp cleanup/humanitarian aides, including the many migrant, seasonal and resident farmworkers in Southwest Florida. Dozens have now been hired and additional job applicants and openings are now being matched in the path of Charley from Charlotte County Northeast to Daytona. Some placements are with FBCOs with more orders and job applicants being referred. And now we also have much more comprehensive information on the NEG program and local contacts on the workforce emergency website at http://www.floridajobs.org/awi_emergency2.htm.

And just as the response to Charley seems to be getting fairly well organized, we are now all gearing up for Frances. We fully expect to be offering the same/similar NEG temp employment and cleanup/humanitarian help in the counties/RWBs impacted by Frances. And the main point of contact for interested FBCOs will be the Charley-impacted RWB leads listed at http://www.floridajobs.org/resources/emergency/
NEG%20RWBContactlist.pdf and the Executives for the other RWBs found at http://www.workforceflorida.com/boards/table.htm on the main WFI website. Recognize also that our longer-range plan for use of the NEG funds is to request permission from USDOL after 4-6 months of temp employment to use some of the NEG funds to transition the temp workers into permanent, unsubsidized jobs in demand occupations. And we know from prior experience with Andrew, Opal and other disasters that the short-term “spike” in unemployment is followed by greatly increased employment opportunities, particularly for those with appropriate skills/training.

At his point we urge your prayers, patience and later engagement. Initially after a hurricane passes through everyone will be very properly focused on meeting the most urgent needs of safety, health, food, shelter, “life and limb issues,” including workforce staff and FBCOs. Only later after those urgencies and taken care of will we be reopening RWB administrative offices and One-Stops, simultaneously staffing FEMA Disaster Centers, Mobile One-Stop Van, and alternative sites. The usual most urgent workforce customer needs are applying for Unemployment Compensation (including Disaster Unemployment Assistance—DUA) and workforce staff will be responsive to that priority. Then as things settle again, attention can turn to setting up the NEG temp employment operations in new counties. Meanwhile also if you or your affiliates or their clients/customers need information on workforce services available, and where to access them in person, by phone or electronically, the workforce website is the best source of frequently updated status information at http://www.floridajobs.org/awi_emergency2.htm And please pass this info along as you see the need for others to know. Also if you are not already aware, WFI maintains a special website and issues alerts like this for Faith and Community based organizations at http://www.workforceflorida.com/gateway