The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced the availability of approximately $1.3 million through a National Emergency Grant for laid-off nuclear facility workers in Washington state. The funding will help roughly 400 workers who were laid off by environmental cleanup contractors at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford site.

The grant was awarded through the Washington State Employment Security Department to provide employment assistance for affected employees. With the funding, they will have access to supportive services and job training in order to help them rejoin the workforce in areas of the economy that are growing.

"Workers formerly employed at the Hanford Site are facing the challenge of finding jobs comparable to the ones they lost," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This federal grant aims to help lessen the negative impact of these layoffs by providing workers with the re-employment services they need."

National Emergency Grants are available from discretionary funding through the secretary of labor and are available to states that meet specific guidelines. Non-governmental organizations that make needs-based grants could benefit from solutions such as grant management software to expedite the application and donation processes.