These funds may be requested to address plant closings and substantial layoffs that exceed the resources available through the Local Area’s formula allocations.

The grant period is generally up to 12 months. Availability of these funds will be effective July 1, 2007, and will continue until State-Level Rapid Response funds are fully obligated. To ensure expeditious and timely funding of these critical services to dislocated workers, upon approval, the NYSDOL will issue a Notice of Obligational Authority (NOA) to the requesting LWIA on a quarterly basis based on projected needs.

Please note that if a LWIA receives a distribution of WIA Discretionary Dislocated Worker funds, then these funds are not eligible for any transfer to the Adult program.

1. Definitions:

   Plant closing is the permanent shutdown of a single site of employment affecting 50 or more workers.

   Substantial layoff is the reduction in force which is not the result of a plant closing and which results in an employment loss at a single site of employment during any 30-day period for:

   (a)(i) at least 33% of the fulltime employees; and,
   (ii) at least 50 fulltime employees. Or,
   (b) at least 200 fulltime employees.

   Fulltime Employees are those that regularly work 20 or more hours per week.

2. Requests for Supplemental Dislocated Worker Funds

   To receive consideration for State discretionary dislocated worker funds to serve workers dislocated as a result of plant closing or substantial layoffs, a LWIA must submit a service plan and demonstrate the need for these funds:

   1. Describe the need, including the specific event that resulted in the plant closing or substantial layoffs. Provide documentation for the event which should include: why available PY 2007 Dislocated Worker resources are insufficient to address the need, current and projected service and expenditure levels for the LWIA’s formula Dislocated Worker funds and supplemental Dislocated Worker funds.

   2. Provide a profile of the affected workers of the event, the number of workers to be served, educational and skill levels of the affected workers, the types of services to be provided and proposed outcomes.

   3. Identify whether the affected workers have been determined to be trade eligible and how services will be coordinated with available Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) training funds.

   4. Provide a proposed quarterly budget and participant plan for enrollments, service levels, program outcomes and accrued expenditures for the requested State Discretionary Dislocated Worker funding.

   5. Identify any subgrantees or subcontractors as appropriate, and their anticipated roles and responsibilities.

3. Allowable Costs
   1. These discretionary funds must be tracked separately from the formula funds by the LWIA.

   2. Funds can only be used for services to workers affected by the specific plant closing or substantial layoff event. Any unexpended funds at the end of the award period will be returned to NYSDOL.

   3. A maximum of 10% of the total grant amount may be spent on programmatic administrative type costs.

   4. Purchase of equipment costing in excess of $5000 per item is not allowable .

   5. Facility renovations are not allowable.

   Once the service plan is submitted, NYSDOL Workforce Development and Training Division (WDTD) Field staff will review the LWIA’s planned expenditures, participant levels and service levels to insure that it is in line with the needs statement. If the local area is approved for a WIA Discretionary Dislocated Worker funds distribution, a formal award letter indicating the maximum award amount will be issued, along with a NOA for the initial quarter’s funding needs. Subsequent NOA’s will be issued on a quarterly basis, and will be based on accrued expenditures and participant reports submitted by the LWIA.

4. Planned Budget for the Project

   Please include a budget narrative for each of the totals below.

   	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	Subsequent F/Y
   Staff Salaries
   Staff Fringes
   Contracted Services
   Space/Utilities
   Other Operating Expenses
   Participant Support Payments
   Total

   Planned Cumulative Participant Information

   	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	Subsequent F/Y
   # of Enrollments
   # Received Staff-Assisted Core Services
   # Received Intensive Services
   # Received Training
   # of ITAs
   # Exited
   # Placed
   Average Wage Replacement Rate