In the latest in a long line of efforts by the Southwestern Commission to help those affected by the Evergreen closure, the U.S. Department of Labor has announced an award of more than $2.5 million to support employment and training services for people in WNC affected by the closure of Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill and by the company’s reduction in operations at its Waynesville facility.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the award to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions, is the first increment of a National Dislocated Worker Grant of up to approximately $7.5 million that will allow the state to provide retraining and skills development for dislocated workers in Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Swain and Transylvania counties.

The funds will be used primarily for occupational skills training (short-term training, diploma, and degree programs) and On-the-Job training. The grant can pay 50% or more of the hourly rate for businesses hiring "dislocated workers." These contracts are usually three to six months in length and help employers offset the cost of onboarding a new worker.

Any inquiries can be sent to your local NCWorks Career Center.