NC’s new governor: Temporary jobs program for Helene recovery expands under Stein
Welcome to the governor edition of our Under the Dome politics newsletter. I’m Dawn Vaughan, The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein expanded a Helene recovery temporary jobs program to more counties on Friday, increasing opportunities for people to work in in disaster-hit areas.
Stein and his Cabinet appointee, Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, announced the move on Friday. A 25-county area was announced in October, which is now expanded to 39 counties.
Here’s what to know about the program.
The full list of counties in the Helene recovery jobs program: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.
Where the money is coming from: $10 million from the federal government, via a Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant had been requested by the N.C. Department of Commerce.
Length of the grant: Two years.
What kind of jobs it helps fund: The temporary jobs, which last up to 12 months, are either in cleanup or recovery from Helene damage, or humanitarian assistance to those living in impacted areas, according to Stein’s office. Two examples of temporary jobs already underway include debris removal at Springhouse Farm in Watauga County and creek and stream cleanup in Haywood County with the Haywood Waterways Association.
The jobs are with nonprofits, state and local government agencies and private businesses, all involved in disaster recovery. The grant also funds workforce training.
How to apply for a temporary Helene recovery job: Anyone interested in applying for one of the temporary jobs can contact NCWorks Career Center at ncworks.gov.
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