US Department of Labor awards additional $2.5M for Maui wildfire recovery jobs, training

The US Department of Labor has awarded Hawaiʻi an additional $2.5 million to fund disaster-relief jobs, employment services and job training for Maui residents affected by the August 2023 wildfires.

The $2.5 million in additional funding is part of the Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG) and is allocated to the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The funds will be used to:

• Provide temporary disaster-relief jobs focused on debris cleanup and repairing wildfire damage.
• Support employment and training services for wildfire survivors.

This brings the total awarded for the project to $13 million out of a potential $21 million grant announced in 2023.

US Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaiʻi) issued a statement following the announcement on Tuesday.

“I am happy to announce that $2.5 million in incremental funding through the National Dislocated Worker Grant (NDWG) has been released for Hawaiʻi to further support workers and communities impacted by the Maui wildfires,” she said. “While this is good news for our Maui ʻohana, I will continue to push the US Department of Labor to make available any and all remaining NDWG funds that can be used as intended through September 2025.”

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants provide a state or local board with funding for direct services and assistance in areas experiencing a major economic dislocation event that leads to workforce needs exceeding available resources.