During a special hiring event today Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. announced that the City of Little Rock has been awarded a United States Department of Labor National Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG). The grant allows the City to hire 25 workers for a one-year time period to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts in response to the historic flooding and storm damage from earlier this year. 

During the event, held at West Central Community Center from 8 to10 a.m. the City of Little Rock’s Human Resources and Parks and Recreation staff focused efforts on hiring persons who were dislocated or have experienced long-term unemployment, including homeless and re-entering residents through its partnerships with Canvas Community Church, Jericho Way, LRWDB and its own City of Little Rock Re-entry Program.

Staff conducted interviews to hire Maintenance Workers, Senior Maintenance Workers, and a project Supervisor. The hiring event continues this afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. 

Casey Hartley, a re-entering resident was among the first to be offered a job through the program. Hartley said he’d been incarcerated for 12 years before attending the hiring fair.

“It means a lot that they have this for people like me, to give me the opportunity to at least try to get work and to start my life over,” Hartley said.

Mayor Scott said that while it is unfortunate that the city sustained damage as a result of the extensive flooding, the grant will help the city recover and put some residents to work.  

“Any time we can facilitate employment for our residents is a plus, even if it’s the result of a natural disaster,” Scott said. “Putting people to work is on of our top priorities.”

For more information about the City’s Dislocated Worker Grant efforts, please contact Kathleen Walker at kawalker@littlerock.gov or 371-4590.

Web Extra:

https://youtu.be/gJvuq_94X3E​ 

About the Dislocated Worker Grant:

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expands the service capacity of dislocated worker training and employment programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.