The U.S. Department of Labor has announced it will provide $20 million to fund state-run programs to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The money will be aimed at education, training and employment opportunities for adults and youth, and states must submit grant applications to receive funding.
According to an announcement on the Department of Labor’s website, the goals of the program are to:
Improve coordination and collaboration across multiple service delivery systems
Build effective partnerships that leverage public and private resources
Improve employment outcomes
The Department previously awarded grants to nine states – Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Virginia – for a three-year term during an earlier round of funding in September 2010. All new funding is available for the remaining 41 states, which may receive between $1.5 to $6 million each to spend over a three-year period.
In related news …
As reported in Disability Scoop, the unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities saw an unfavorable uptick in May. The jobless rate rose to 15.6 percent, up from 14.5 percent in April when unemployment dropped for the first time in a three-month stretch.
Unemployment facing the general population remained steady at 9.1 percent, a slight increase from April.