COVID-19 DISASTER RECOVERY NATIONAL DISLOCATED …...disaster that the project need exists within...

COVID-19 Disaster Recovery DWG – Georgia Full Application Worksheet

1

☐ ☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐ ☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

☐

COVID-19

DISASTER RECOVERY NATIONAL DISLOCATED WORKER GRANT (DWG)

GEORGIA FULL APPLICATION WORKSHEET

Grant Recipient Name:

Project Name: GA COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Grant Number: DW-34654-20-60-A-13 Are all quarterly reports up to date? Yes No

Check applicable requests made in this modification request:

Full Application Budget Realignment

Statement of Work Change Response to Outstanding Terms and Conditions

Incorporate Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA) or Cost Allocation Plan (CAP)

Period of Performance Change

Requesting an extension to: ( )

Change of Address or Authorized Representative

Information Equipment Purchase

Other: Request for Additional Funding

Enrollment Summary – Update for Disaster-Relief Employment

For Modifications

Initial

Projection

Enrolled to

Date

Projected

New

Enrollments

Number of Participants in Disaster-Relief Employment Only 3,410 0 1,070

Number of Participants in Career and Training Services Only 1,401 0 1,120

Number of Participants in Both Disaster-Relief Employment and Career

and Training Services 0 0 0

Participant Totals 4,811 0 2,190

Eligible Participants – Individuals receiving services through a Disaster Recovery DWG must meet one of the

following criteria. Select all that apply:

Temporarily or permanently laid off as a consequence of the disaster

A dislocated worker

A long-term unemployed worker

A self-employed individual who became unemployed or significantly under-employed as a result of the disaster or

emergency

Geographic Area to Be Served: List the counties/parishes to be served by this project. Also indicate

additions/deletions since the submittal of the initial application, and why the change was made.

All 159 counties of the state of Georgia will be served under this project. These counties include: Appling, Atkinson,

Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch,

Burke, Butts, Calhoun, Camden, Candler, Carroll, Catoosa, Charlton, Chatham, Chattooga, Chattahoochee, Cherokee,

Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Clinch, Cobb, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson,

Decatur, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Douglas, Early, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fannin,

Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Glynn, Gordon, Grady, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall,

Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Hart, Heard, Henry, Houston, Irwin, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson,

Jones, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, McDuffie,

McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee,

Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pierce, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Quitman, Rabun, Randolph, Richmond,


2

Rockdale, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Spalding, Stephens, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair,

Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Ware, Warren,

Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Worth


3

Community Needs Assessment:

Summarize the impact of COVID-19 in the proposed service area. Identify new information determined since submission of the emergency application.

Identify the specific needs to be addressed in the proposed service area.

Describe how these needs were identified and how they will be monitored throughout the grant period.

Explain how the disaster-relief employment will address the specific needs stated above.

Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, as of March 30, 2020, the state was determined a major disaster by the

President of the United States. As of August 24th, 253,949 Georgians have tested positive for COVID-19 and 5,132

Georgians have died according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. At the time of Georgia’s initial

application, 2,809 Georgians had tested positive and 87 had died. This significant increase has subsequently increased

the grave impact on the state and its constituents in a significant way. From an economic perspective, the key issue is

not just the number of cases of COVID-19, but the level of disruption to the state’s and local economies from

containment measures. These measures have directly impacted individuals across the state to maintain employment.

Since the initial application, Governor Bryan Kemp issued a shelter in place order in an attempt to slow the spread of

the virus and protect the citizens of Georgia. The order caused many businesses to close their doors temporarily and

dislocated thousands of workers across the state. This order initially went into effect on April 3rd and was set to end on

April 13th. However, with numbers of confirmed cases steadily increasing while the health community increased

capacity to treat those affected, the shelter in place order was extended to April 30th.

The shelter in place ordered that the following businesses and professionals were required to cease in-person

operations:

Bars Theaters Hair designers Barbering schools

Nightclubs Live

performance

venues

Body art studios Esthetics schools

Gyms Operators of

amusement

parks

Beauty shops and

salons

Nail care schools

Fitness

centers

Dine in-

services

Cosmetology

schools

Licensed massage

therapists

Bowling

alleys

Estheticians Hair design schools

Businesses who were permitted to operate were required to abide by restrictions based on their status as a critical or

non-critical infrastructure. Critical Infrastructure, as labeled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was able to

continue in-person operations and encouraged to implement sixteen recommendations. These recommendations

included screening and evaluating workers for symptoms of the virus, enhancing sanitation of the workplace,

implementing teleworking, and more. Non-critical infrastructure that continued to operate were required to follow

social distancing rules and only engage in minimum basic operations. These organizations were asked to implement

twenty recommendations, which closely reflect those of critical infrastructure. The recommendations for continued

operations under the shelter in place order are detailed in Governor Kemp’s Guidance and FAQs for the shelter in

place executive order.

The shelter in place order also required residents to remain in their residences and take every possible precaution to

limit social interaction in order to prevent the spread or infection of COVID-19. Residents were only permitted to

leave their place of residence if they were:

1) Engaging in essential services; or

2) Working in Critical Infrastructure; or

3) Engage in Minimum Basic Operations; or

4) Performing Necessary Travel.

Economic devastation stretches from our state’s economic center in Atlanta to the rural areas across the state. The


4

specific needs resulting from COVID-19 are to provide immediate and urgent disaster employment to Georgians.

Job Loss In Georgia

COVID-19 has had an immediate impact on the day-to-day lives of Georgians as well as significantly impacted Georgia’s

business community. Jobless claims have totaled 2,605,453 since the week of March 7th. You can see the totals for each

individual week below. While the weekly claims have decreased since the height of the crisis, they are still significantly

higher than prior to the pandemic.

Week Of # of Jobless Claims

03/07/2020 4,568

03/14/2020 5,447

03/21/2020 12,140

03/28/2020 133,819

04/04/2020 390,130

04/11/2020 319,581

04/18/2020 247,003

04/25/2020 266,565

05/02/2020 228,352

05/09/2020 242,772

05/16/2020 177,731

05/23/2020 165,499

05/30/2020 149,163

6/06/2020 135,254

6/13/2020 131,997

While UI claims were at their greatest during the shelter in place order, the weekly claimant data remains high as

companies adjust their responses to COVID-19. An analysis of Initial UI Claims by industry shows that the following

industries have experienced the greatest impact: Manufacturing, Retail, Administrative and Support, Health Care and

Social Assistance, and Accommodation and Food Services. On May 21, 2020, the Georgia Department of Labor

announced that the preliminary unemployment rate for the state of Georgia is 11.9 percent, which is the highest total

unemployment in Georgia’s history. Georgia's April 2020 number of unemployed is more than 80,000 higher than the

height of the Great Recession of 2009-2010.

When analyzing the number of individuals actually receiving UI benefits, the number has consistently decreased over the

past few weeks (indicating that individuals are starting to transition back to employment). However, the number of overall

recipients statewide remains high at 728,728 for the week that ended on May 16th. These numbers, in combination with

the continued business interruptions discussed in greater detail below, lead the State to believe that assistance for

unemployed or underemployed individuals will be needed for the near future.

Business Interruption and Layoffs in Georgia

Small Businesses: More than 1 million small businesses operate in Georgia. These businesses make up 99.6% of all

businesses within the Peach State and employ 1.6 million of its residents, more than 43% of all Georgia employees.

Many small businesses have been forced or chosen to reduce hours, shift business models, or even close their doors

as a result to COVID-19. This has had a direct impact on these companies’ ability to maintain their workforce and

resulted in the staggering UI claims described above. As many local governments have asked residents to shelter in

place, patronage of small businesses has significantly decreased. The hospitality industry and tourism industries

have been hit the hardest as their normal patrons have chosen to or been forced to practice social distancing measures

that do not allow them to be out and about.


5

Fortune 500 Companies: More than 450 Fortune 500 companies have a presence in the state, with 18 of them

having their global headquarters in Georgia. These include Delta Airlines, Home Depot, Coca-Cola, UPS, and

SunTrust to only name a few.

A very brief snapshot of only a few examples of Georgia businesses that were impacted by COVID-19 include:

DELTA AIRLINES: Delta headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia expects its second-quarter revenue to fall

80% or by $10 billion. The airline has cut 85% of its flights and more than 41,000 of the company’s

90,000 employees volunteered for temporary unpaid leave. But air travel is still down about 88% due to

the impact of the coronavirus. Delta CEO Ed Bastian told employees in a memo on May 27th: “It will

likely be two to three years before we see demand recovery on a large scale.” Delta has offered early

retirement or voluntary separation options to all of its employees in an attempt to avoid large-furloughs.

However, the results of those offers will determine the need or scale of the furloughs, which are intended

to go into effect in August. Delta has severed ties with many contractors.

KIA MOTORS MANUFACTURING: In the initial application, the State discussed the plans of Kia

Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) to temporarily close their plant because of coronavirus. The

plant normally operates 24 hours a day producing over 340,000 vehicles per years. The plant re-opened

at 33% capacity in early May. However, the plant has had to close once again due to supply chain issues.

The plant’s closure is having impacts on the surrounding community. Roughly 14,000 families are

impacted by KMMG when suppliers and contractors are factored in. Currently, there is not anticipated

date for when operations will return to full capacity.

BRIDGESTONE: Suspended manufacturing due to COVID-19

TEXTRON: Temporary shutdown due to COVID-19. Both Textron and Bridgestone are two of metro

Augusta’s largest manufacturing operations.

PERDUE: Perdue is the fourth-largest producer of chicken in the United States. Perry, Georgia plant has

had employees walk out due to Coronavirus health concerns.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT: The busiest airport in the world is in Atlanta, Georgia, which

sees 107 million passengers a year and employs 63,000 people is feeling a tremendous economic impact

with airlines grounding fleets. Traffic through the airport has decreased catastrophically, which has had a

devastating impact on airport vendors and contractors.

GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY: The third busiest port in the nation has been impacted. Both

imports and exports were down significantly in March and April 2020

Local Governments: Georgia is divided into 159 counties and contains 535 incorporated municipalities. Cities,

towns, and county governments have begun to put sanitation protocols to combat the spread of COVID-19 in

communities. This has required local governments to hire individuals who are tasked with ensuring safety measures

are adhered to.

Hospitals and Healthcare Industry: While hospitals and healthcare facilities across the state were heavily impacted

during the height of the crisis by increases in demand in the acute care areas of their facilities, all of the areas related to

elective procedures or non-acute care were temporarily suspended during the lockdown. Unfortunately, these are the

areas of hospitals and medical facilities that generate the most operating revenue. COVID-19 is taking sizable chunks

out of the budgets of hospital systems and government health programs in Georgia. Hospitals have lost surgical,

diagnostic and outpatient revenue during the pandemic, and industry leaders say recent federal grant funding has not

been enough to offset those losses.

Consequently, several of the state’s largest healthcare employers have announced significant furloughs or layoffs:

WellStar Health Systems has furloughed 1,070 employees and reduce the hours of another 1,800 workers; Emory

Healthcare will furlough up to 1,500 of its employees; Piedmont Healthcare is “reducing operating expenses and flexing

staff to match patient volumes.”

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus-related losses of jobs supported by the hotel industry in Georgia numbered

104,381 out of a total of 255,767 hotel-supported jobs, according to a hotel industry estimate. Three of Atlanta's

largest hotels (The Hilton Atlanta Airport, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta and the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel) have laid off


6

560 workers for more than 6 months. Many other hotels have announced large layoffs as well. The downturn in

tourism and travel across the state has dramatically impacted all of the businesses and industries supported by the

state’s tourism industry.

School Systems:

Governor Kemp closed all public schools when a statewide shelter-in-place order was issued on March 26th. Educational

institutions were closed in an attempt to contain the dangerous spread of this global pandemic.

Schools would later move to a distance-learning model to finish out the school year. The COVID-19 pandemic has

affected educational systems statewide, which led to the total closures of schools, universities and colleges throughout

Georgia.

During school closures, many hourly workers were temporarily laid off, asked to take administrative leave, or

asked to shift duties.

Children who normally received free meals at school no longer had access to a guaranteed meal in an effort to

shelter children in place to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

Once the distance-learning model was put into place to protect the health of children, families, and school staff,

many disadvantaged children were pushed into a learning model without learning devices, educational materials,

transportation to and from the school to receive essentials.

As classes began to resume in August, a critical need to prepare for continued distance learning in high impacted COVID-

19 areas, as well as serving medically fragile and homebound children with compromised immune systems or at-risk who

will not be returning to typical school environment became a critical need.

Schools are overwhelmed during this unprecedented time to serve students homebound and woefully understaffed

to manage severe outbreaks for when children do return to the physical classrooms.

As of June 11, more than 2,780 children have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Georgia and are being monitored for

Kawaski disease symptoms. This new phenomenon brings new concerns to parents and could lead to more children being in

distant-learning situations to protect their health and safety.

URGENCY TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN GEORGIA HAS RISEN SUBSTAINLLY AS A

RESULT OF THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES:

Georgia’s rate of COVID-19 cases among children is greater than the national average, according to a new report

published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.1

The jump in child cases in late July has heightened concern over schools reopening across the state and nation.

Georgia’s rate of infections per 100,000 kids is 571, higher than the national percentage of 447.

Several recent developments have focused attention on COVID-19 cases among Georgia children:

o A 7-year-old Chatham County boy became the youngest person in the state to die of the disease.

o A CDC report last month detailed COVID-19 infections among more than 200 children at a North

Georgia overnight camp.

o A North Paulding High student made national news after snapping a photo of a school hallway with most

students not wearing masks. The Paulding school decided to go to digital classes only, after revealing that

six students and three staff members were diagnosed with COVID-19.

o As of August 11, there have been 59 positive COVID-19 tests confirmed among students and staff in the

Cherokee district after only have the school open for 5 days, which has led them to mandate two-week

quarantines for 925 students and staff.

Schools across the state in the 159 counties will be opening in some form over the course of the next few weeks. This

1 https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP%20and%20CHA%20-%20Children%20and%20COVID-19%20State%20Data%20Report%207.30.20%20FINAL.pdf

https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP%20and%20CHA%20-%20Children%20and%20COVID-19%20State%20Data%20Report%207.30.20%20FINAL.pdf

https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP%20and%20CHA%20-%20Children%20and%20COVID-19%20State%20Data%20Report%207.30.20%20FINAL.pdf


7

includes 181 school districts spanning 2,200 schools. The state employs over 114,800 school teachers who educate

approximately 1.6 million school-aged children in the state. Disaster-relief jobs through this program will help provide

critically needed assistance to protect the health of these children.

WARN Notices: The estimated total number of individuals affected as of June 4th was 25,201. As the public

crisis continues to negatively impact business operations, it is anticipated that there will be a continued

number of mass layoffs and closures.

The Business Layoff and Closure listing maintained by the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL), as required by

the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), will be monitored constantly by

OWD’s Business Services Team to track additional layoffs.

The COVID-19 public health emergency has affected all 159 counties of Georgia. It has caused the business community

to either stretch its resources, shift business models, or, unfortunately close their doors or reduce their resources. There is

a need to get Georgians back to work as soon as possible so they may return to their livelihoods and support their families.

The Georgia business community has clear and expressed needs for support, which the state is working diligently to

provide. This public health crisis has created the undoubtable need to put Georgians to work to assist in humanitarian and

clean-up activities as well as create the opportunity for those laid off to receive much needed training services to support

Georgia’s industries with the highest needs for skilled labor.

IDENTIFIED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND CLEAN-UP NEEDS

Due to the significant job loss in Georgia, humanitarian needs have grown exponentially. Needs across the state were

identified through implications of data related to COVID-19 cases, UI claims, and active WARN notifications. This

revealed to TCSG OWD that needs to address immediate impacts of and those affected by the disaster were great.

LWDAs have worked with GDOL, community leaders, including elected officials, state agency leaders, and non-profit

leaders, to identify humanitarian needs that presented opportunities to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human

dignity in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

Organizations such as community foodbanks and community shelters are seeing high demands for their services due to

the mass displacement of workers. Their staff have been stretched to meet the demands of their constituents. In addition to

increased demands, foodbanks and shelters have established increased sanitation protocols to prevent the further spread of

COVID-19. In foodbanks, proper sanitation is vital in preparing and packing food as individuals work physically closely

together to provide services. They must ensure the facilities are properly sanitized for individuals coming to receive

services, and, for individuals who are homebound due to underlying conditions, foodbanks and other organizations

working to combat food insecurity have been met with a significant increased need for food delivery services.

Shelters have been challenged by social distancing needs in densely populated shelters. They are experiencing an

increased need for staff to assist with sanitation, health screening of individuals entering the shelter to prevent the further

spread of COVID-19, logistical support for establishing new shelter spaces to allow for proper social distancing, and

more. Individuals who have been displaced from work due to COVID-19 are no longer able to provide for their families

and are seeking opportunities for support from these key humanitarian support organizations. Need from the public has

grown exponentially and organizations are working diligently to serve amidst the obstacles of a global pandemic.

Public facilities such as schools, local government buildings, and non-profits that provide humanitarian services are

beginning to reopen their doors to the public following government mandated shut-downs to slow the spread of COVID-

19. As they reopen their doors, it is imperative that they are thoroughly sanitized prior to their reopening and develop a

regular sanitizing routine once they are open. There is also a need for the cleaning and sanitation to be monitored for

public use so that organizations may ensure a clean and safe environment for all visitors. Coordination is a key function in

the logistics of these operations. These organization have requested support to sanitize their facilities prior to reopening

their doors as well as maintain sanitizing procedures as recommended by the CDC.

In addition to the sanitation of facilities, communities have identified the need for health screenings for individuals prior

to their entrance to public facilities. Health screenings include temperature checks and questionnaires, which will mitigate

potential spread of the virus. Health screenings are needed for students as they enter busses and schools. They are needed


8

at court houses and other public facilities where communities gather. Furthermore, at health screening checkpoints,

individuals can be encouraged to utilize masks and other protective face coverings to protect themselves and the

community.

Public health needs have skyrocketed amidst the global pandemic. This has created a great need for individuals to be

connected to resources that may assist them in overcoming challenges that have surfaced due to COVID-19. Communities

in Georgia have developed rural community hotlines to help make this connection for individuals. These hotlines guide

community members to resources that will assistant them in finding humanitarian assistance organizations that further

mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as well as organizations that provide essential services to overcome public health

challenges. Additional there may be a need for temporary employees to engage in contact tracing efforts as a component

of their job activities in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Community needs will monitored continuously to

determine the need of full time contact tracers.

Educational systems have been disrupted statewide by the pandemic, which led to the total closures of schools,

universities and colleges throughout Georgia to slow the spread of this dangerous virus. COVID-19 created enormous

burdens on the system to educate while also protecting the safety and health of the students, staff, and families as in-

person re-openings began this Fall. Providing distance learning in high impacted COVID-19 areas, serving medically

fragile and homebound children with compromised immune systems or at-risk who will not be returning to typical school

environment became a critical need. As a result, there is a dire need to serve homebound students through a courier

service for public schools. To protect the health and safety of students, families, and school staff due to the COVID-19

pandemic, temporary workers are needed to deliver essential supports and supplies to homes with school-aged children

who are connected to schools but are in a distance-learning instructional environment due to the health risks and dangers

of COVID-19. These couriers will be engaged in the logistics and distribution of food nutrition and meals, essential

supplies, learning materials, technical equipment, learning devices, assistive technology equipment, and peripheral

support gear to be delivered to school-aged children who are homebound due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, a key component to stop the further spread of COVID-19 is to contact trace individuals who test positive with the

virus. It is necessary to understand where individuals who have contracted the virus to report where they have been so that

those space may be sanitized and so that individuals who have been in contact with identified persons may be notified so

that they can take proper precautions.

Needs will be assessed continuously throughout the period of the grant. The TCSG Office of Workforce Development

(OWD) Business Services and Data and Performance teams will work collaboratively to address any needs that may

impact the project. They will do so by speaking weekly with the State Rapid Response team to monitor WARN activities.

Additionally, there will be a Bi-Weekly Statewide Status Call with the LWDAs to complete ongoing community needs

assessment. These collaborative efforts will allow project operators to express needs and for adjustments to be made as

necessary to ensure best use of funds and the completion of necessary project activities.

IDENTIFIED TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN GEORGIA

The significant impact of COVD-19 to the workforce in Georgia has created monumental need for support to dislocated

workers in the state. The business interruption above only touches on the amount of loss and displacement workers in

Georgia have face in the last few months and will continue to face in the future. Due to this reality, the workforce system

of Georgia has identified temporary disaster employment opportunities as well as employment and training opportunities

for those who have been dislocated due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Local Workforce Development Areas and the Georgia Department of Labor have identified 1,070 disaster

employment worksites to put hardworking Georgians back to work. These worksites address the needs of workers who

have been displaced as well as entities who have experienced increased demand for services due to COVID-19. They will

do so by providing humanitarian assistance and disaster clean-up to identified organizations.

Local Workforce Development Areas have identified 920 temporary employment opportunities that represent

humanitarian assistance and disaster clean-up opportunities that address the needs detailed above. These temporary

employment opportunities meet the needs of overwhelmed and understaffed local governments and humanitarian


9

organizations that do not have the funds to employ additional staff to meet new demands as a result of the pandemic. To

increase access and prevent further transmission and potential death, community partners identified the need for trained

workers to complete these activities. Job activities for temporary employees will include the sanitation of public buildings

prior to their reopening, health screenings, meeting the increased needs of community shelters and foodbanks, connecting

individuals to resources, and more.

The Georgia Department of Labor has identified 150 temporary employment opportunities with Southern Georgia’s

Regional Education Service Agencies. As school districts look to reopen, there is a critical need for assistance to protect

the health and safety of students, staff, and families through virtual learning. Their support will include courier work to

ensure students who are home-bound due to COVID-19 receive items such as meals, learning materials, technical

equipment, learning devices, assistive technology equipment, peripheral support gear assignments, and other support they

would otherwise receive in an in-person learning setting.

The identification of these worksites show a collaborative effort to meet the needs of dislocated workers with employment

as well as provide much needed support for public entities across the state. Over the course of the grant, TCSG OWD,

LWDAs, and GDOL will work collaboratively to monitor evolving needs for the project. A plan to address the timeline

for reviewing enrollment and the process for determining and responding to new needs or challenges is being finalized.

None of the temporary disaster employment opportunities are designed to exceed $20,000 per participant.

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN GEORGIA

For individuals experiencing a permanent layoff, as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, Georgia’s 19 LWDAs intend

to support participants through employment and training opportunities. Georgia estimates that the LWDAs will

serve 1,120 workers laid-off as a result of the disaster, self-employed individuals affected by COVID-19, and

long-term unemployed individuals. The programs will be designed to assist those who are affected by major

economic dislocations of communities through an established set of services including individual training

accounts (ITA) and work-based learning opportunities. These opportunities will not exceed $20,000 per

participant.

PRIORITIES FOR GEORGIA AND COMPLETED ACTIVITIES

While the need is great in many areas, Georgia is currently prioritizing humanitarian assistance and clean-up

opportunities. This prioritization addresses two key issues – getting Georgians back to work and providing much needed

relief to communities across the State. Worksites across the state have begun to employ individuals who were dislocated

due to the pandemic. Many are participating in sanitation projects, which assist the reopening of public facilities and the

recovery of Georgia’s economy. In areas where worksites have not begun, LWDAs are identifying partners and

developing worksite agreements that meet the needs of their community. Employment and training activities are also

beginning as Fall semesters start. These opportunities are essential for individuals who will not be able to return to work

and require upskilling and/or retraining to earn respectable wages.

Due to the exponential growth of confirmed cases as well as COVID related layoffs, Georgia is making an additional ask

of approximately $13 million. While, the initial award of $12 million has been vital in our efforts to recover from the

disaster, increased impact described above requires increased resources. The State received a reduced award that does not

meet the existing demand for services that the local workforce development areas are reporting. After initial assessment,

TCSG OWD was able to gain a clearer picture of capacity and the costs of servicing participants. These additional dollars

will allow the state to provide significant support to communities in both their efforts to slow the spread of the virus and

to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. Individuals are also given the opportunity to earn wages while providing

much needed assistance to communities. This will decrease their dependence on unemployment insurance benefits. With

increased funding, LWDAs will have the capacity to serve 1,070 individuals through temporary disaster employment

opportunities. Lastly, the increased dollars will allow the state to serve a greater number of individuals through

employment and training opportunities – cultivating a highly trained and prepared workforce for Georgia businesses.

LWDAs indicate that with funding they have the capacity and are prepared to address the demand with career and training

services (virtual and classroom) for a total of 1,120 new participants during the period of performance.


1

0

Proposed Disaster-Relief Jobs

(For grant recipient completion)

Statement of Need Project Activities Requirements to Carry Out

Disaster-Relief Positions Partners

Needs: Areas Where Disaster-Relief Jobs to Address Need: Training or Supplies Needed Partners Involved with

Identify each need Need Exists: Identify the general types of disaster- for Disaster-Relief Positions: Establishing the Disaster-

resulting from the Identify where this relief work to address the stated need. Identify the resources required to Relief Positions:

disaster that the project need exists within Disaster-relief positions may address carry out the disaster-relief Identify the entities involved

proposes to address. the project’s cleanup resulting from the impact of the positions. Include training with establishing the positions, proposed service disaster event, along with the needs, supplies, supportive such as project operators, area. humanitarian assistance needs created by services, etc. worksite employers, the disaster. establishments where disaster- relief employment will take place, etc.

Food assistance

organizations have

increased sanitation

requirements due to

COVID-19, individuals

who had existing food

insecurity and are

now homebound and requ

ire food delivery

(i.e. homebound seniors,

children on free and

reduced lunch who have

pre-existing conditions)

All Counties Food delivery drivers, stockers, service

assistants, food preparation, and/or order

fillers

Sanitation supplies, gloves, face

masks, disinfectants

local governments, community

foodbanks, community shelters,

non-profit foodbanks and shelters

that provide food assistance

Sanitation needs for

community

organizations

All Counties Sanitation in community organization

buildings (including schools and non-

profits)

Sanitation supplies, gloves, face

masks, disinfectants

schools, local governments, and

non-profits that serve humanitarian

needs

health screening and

logistics needs for

community organizations

opening back up after

COVID related closures

All Counties Temperature checks and health screenings

upon entry to public spaces,

general mitigation of possible health

concerns

Thermometers, sanitation supplies,

gloves, face mask, disinfectants

schools, local governments, and

non-profits that serve humanitarian

needs


1

1

Increase in

homelessness and

homelessness

services due to COVID-

19

All Counties Logistical support for COVID-19 mitigation

in homeless shelters, ensuring proper social

distancing and screening, assisting

individuals experiencing homelessness to

find additional shelters

Basic case management and

humanitarian assistance training, as

well as training on the virtual

delivery system

local community service

organizations supporting

individuals experiencing

homelessness

Increase in demand for

humanitarian efforts in K-

12 educational institutions

All Counties Temporary workers serving as couriers to

deliver essential support and distribution of

food nutrition and meals, essential supplies,

learning materials, technical equipment,

learning devices, assistive technology

equipment and peripheral support gear

Personal vehicle (mileage

reimbursement)

K-12 educational institutions,

Regional Educational Service

Agencies (RESA)

Increased public health

needs due to COVID-19,

increased need for

community resources to

further mitigate the

spread of COVID-19

All Counties Health care services support rural

community hotlines, managing temporary

inbound call centers utilized to assist

citizens with community resources during

this crisis, contact tracing

Telephone, resource directory local governments, non-profit

organizations

Coordinate sanitation

efforts; track when and

where sanitation efforts

have been completed

All Counties Sanitation Coordinators, manage sanitation

efforts, schedule and track public use of

monitored facilities, coordinate with

necessary staff if public health incidents are

reported

Computer, telephone, PPE local governments, non-profit

organizations


1

2

Worksite Management

Describe the plan for identifying, approving, establishing, and managing the disaster-relief worksites, as well as how worksite progress will be tracked.

All worksites have been identified by the State’s Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDAs) and other state and local partners, including the Georgia

Department of Labor. Existing staff from all entities are working together and with their established business and community partners to identify appropriate

sites in accordance with the needs assessment outlined above. As this crisis continues to evolve, the LWDAs will work within the parameters laid out in this

application to add or change worksites according to community needs. The LWDAs have been required to submit all of their proposed worksites to OWD for

approval, and all existing proposed jobs can be found in the table above. If the need arises for any new jobs, the LWDAs will work with OWD to receive

approval for those jobs to ensure they fall within the approved grant agreement and scope of work to ensure employment opportunities meet the defined goals

to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster clean-up.

The LWDAs will serve as the Project Operators for all of their respective worksites. The process will begin with execution of a worksite agreement between

the LWDAs and all participating employers. This worksite agreement will ensure compliance with all federal (including TEGL 12-19), state, and local policies

relevant to the disaster recovery grant. It will include pertinent details of the worksite, including job responsibilities, the required qualifications, any required

training, hours, and the policies and stipulations regarding the position. The LWDAs will then submit these worksite agreements to OWD for final approval.

These documents, and any other requisite documentation, will be maintained by the LWDAs for the required period of time and made available to USDOL as

needed. The LWDAs will work with their partners and contractors (such as the GDOL) to provide in-person and virtual recruitment. Because COVID-19 is

highly contagious, GDOL will purchase virtual job software to facilitate the recruitment efforts in a virtual capacity to fall within the scope of CDC guidelines.

This unique platform will require the purchase from a sole vendor, “Easy Virtual Job Fair”. (SEE ATTACHMENT) The LWDA will work with all

participating employers to address any new needs or challenges with the DWG regarding disaster-relief employment duration, wages, or anything directly

related to the actual worksite.

The LWDAs will work with their respective worksites to engage, enroll, and hire participants based on respective timelines. The LWDAs will manage

enrollment and the case management of all participants and enter participant data into TCSG’s WorkSource Portal to track performance. LWDAs will also

maintain all participant related documentation and data for the required period of time and will make it available to USDOL as needed.


1

3

Proposed Employment and Training Services

(For grant recipient completion)

Statement of Need

Project Activities

Requirements to Carry Out

Employment and Training

Services

Partners/Service Providers

Needs: Area Where Need Employment and Training Services to Employment and Training Partners/WIOA Service

Identify career and Exists: Address Need: Resources and Supplies: Providers/Contracted

training needs resulting Identify where this Identify career and training services to Identify the resources required to Services:

from the disaster that need exists within address the stated need. Include carry out the career and training Identify community partners,

the project proposes to the project’s credentials and length of time needed to services, such as support WIOA service providers, and

address. proposed service complete training. Training must be technology, subscriptions, and other contracted services the area. completed within the grant period. internet access. recipient will use to implement required activities.

Unemployment Claims

increased significantly

due

to business closures.

All counties Dislocated workers will be trained in in-

demand positions currently available

including: logistics, IT, healthcare (where

applicable), and business management and

operations. LWDAs will utilize ITAs and

OJT contracts to accomplish these goals.

(opportunities will not exceed $20,000 per

participant)

That will vary by occupation.

However, access to high-speed

internet for on-line training will

likely remain a need for all

occupations as education

institutions remain on distant

learning for the near future.

22 TCSG colleges across the state,

employer partners (for OJT), and

other approved ETPL training

providers

Monitoring/Oversight Plan for Worksites

Describe internal controls in place for tracking and monitoring project activities, including worksites and worksite employers, to ensure compliance with federal

requirements and grant terms. To evaluate the activities under this grant, LWDAs will conduct on-site and/or desk review monitoring of worksites and worksite employers to determine

compliance with the grant terms. LWDAs will utilize their current processes for monitoring work-based learning activities under WIOA formula funds. These

oversight activities include, but are not limited to:

A pre-award review that evaluates the worksite employer’s history with work-based learning contracts, financial stability, layoffs, relocation and labor

disputes, as well as the occupational and industry outlook;

Evaluation of contract terms to include wage rates, performance outcome requirements, description of occupation(s) involved, skills and competencies

to be provided and learned, and an adequate training plan; and

Follow-up evaluations in which LWDAs shall ensure that the worksites adhere to the contract terms and maintain all records pertaining the activities

under the grant (i.e., application, time sheets, payroll records, invoices and other relevant financial records).


1

4

Career, Training, and Supportive Services

Briefly explain why existing formula funds are not sufficient to fund proposed career, training and supportive services.

Career, Training, and Supportive Services

Briefly explain why existing formula funds are not sufficient to fund proposed career, training and supportive services.

Georgia was already facing a funding shortage prior to the crisis, with nine (9) of the 19 LWDAs already in a position of having to place participants on a waitlist

due to insufficient funding. For the past 3-5 years, Georgia (like most of the country) has been experiencing a period of economic growth. As the economy expanded

and unemployment continually dropped (to 3.1% prior to the COVID-19 crisis), Georgia’s formula WIOA funds have been consistently decreased during that time

period due to the established funding formulas that are based off of economic health indicators. Once the COVID-19 crisis hit the state, the situation was only made

worse. Now that there are large numbers of individuals who are likely to be out of work for a sustained period of time, the State does not have sufficient funds to

meet their needs simply with the use of formula WIOA funds.

DWG Performance

DWG performance accountability is outlined in Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 14-18, Attachment 6. The DWG program applies

performance measures as described in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 116. These include the following:

Planned Employment Rate (2nd Quarter after Exit): 72%

Planned Employment Rate (4th Quarter after Exit): 70%

Planned Median Earnings: $5,000

Planned Credential Rate: 55%

Planned Measurable Skill Gains Rate: 5%

Are the planned performance goals for this project the same as the applicable negotiated goals for the Dislocated Worker program? Yes or No?

No

If the above goals are lower than the negotiated goals, please explain why:

The state proposes goals that are lower than our negotiated rates for PY19 for a few reasons. The PY19 rates were negotiated under good economic conditions

that were projected to continue indefinitely. As this is being written, the USDOL just announced historic unemployment claims that dwarf those from the Great

Recession. While it is not anticipated that this downturn will last as long as previous periods of uncertainty, the initial numbers indicate this will not end

overnight and the impacts may be felt for some time. The greatest impacts from this emergency appear to be in industries where workers may not possess

advanced skills that are broadly applicable. Successfully placing dislocated individuals outside their critically-affected industries will be a challenge.

Additionally, the nature of these projects does not lend to long term placement in employment as they are organized around temporary situations (i.e. a short-term

uptick in sanitation needs due to more people being home). While the programs should provide useful work experiences that will be transferrable to other

positions, these initial positions may not be permanent and with an uncertain economic outlook it is unsure whether the employers will be able to maintain these

positions for six (6) months to a year or more.


10

Enrollment and Expenditure

Worksheet for Disaster-Relief

Employment

COMPLETE BLUE COLUMNS ONLY IF REQUESTING

INCREMENTAL OR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING

Actual Data as of

Modification Submission

Date

New Projections if

Supplemental/Incremental

Funds Awarded

Participant Breakdown by

Services

Initial

Planned

Enrollment

Numbers

Initial Planned

Expenditures

Actual

Enrollments

as of

Modification

Submission

Actual

Expenditures

as of

Modification

Submission

New

Projected

Enrollments

New Projected

Expenditures

Participant Disaster-Relief

Employment Wages 3410 $20,066,470 0 $0 1,070 $7,161,142

Participant Fringe Benefits 360 $6,815 0 $0 1,070 $1,213,215

Related Disaster-Relief

Training and Supportive

Services

410 $74,014 0 $0 915 $1,050,000

TOTALS: $20,147,299 0 $ 0 $9,424,357

Enrollment and Expenditure

Worksheet for Employment

and Training Services

COMPLETE BLUE COLUMNS ONLY IF REQUESTING

INCREMENTAL OR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING

Actual Data as of

Modification Submission

Date

New Projections if

Supplemental/Incremental

Funds Awarded

Participant Breakdown by

Services

Initial Planned

Enrollment

Numbers

Initial Planned

Expenditures

Actual

Enrollments

as of

Modification

Submission

Actual

Expenditures

as of

Modification

Submission

New

Projected

Enrollments

New Projected

Expenditures

Career Services 0 $0 0 $0 210 $168,000

Training Services, excluding

On-the-Job Training (OJT) 1240 $7,100,000 0 $0 857 $5,218,136.93

OJT Only 161 $746,000 0 $0 263 $1,521,843.95

Supportive Services 1,401 $4,271,500 0 $0 1,105 $2,630,050

Needs-Related Payments 0 $0 0 $0 140 $158,200

TOTALS: $12,117,500 0 $ 0 $9,696,230.88


11

PROJECT NARRATIVE: OVERALL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Provide an explanation of the procedures you will use to identify funds not being utilized in accordance with the

project plan:

The State shall incorporate activities under the grant as a part of its annual comprehensive monitoring process and select

additional samples to ensure adherence to programmatic and financial requirements under the grant. The State conducts

program, data, and fiscal monitoring of LWDAs annually and will determine sample size and key objectives for onsite

and desk reviews through the annual risk assessment process. The risk assessment takes into consideration the size of

grant awards, administrative structure, past audit findings, and more. Annual monitoring may be conducted onsite with

additional oversight conducted by telephone and desk reviews of documents and reports to evaluate compliance with the

uniform administrative requirements and applicable cost principles, in addition to adherence to equal opportunity and

nondiscrimination requirements, data collection and reporting requirements, and other applicable laws and regulations.

Issues identified will be detailed in a Notice of Findings report and corrective actions shall be implemented.

OWD has existing policy that details how Supportive Service and Needs Related payments should be made in accordance

with WIOA law. LWDAs are also required to have individual policies that are monitored by OWD staff every year.

In addition, OWD has multiple processes in place that will enable the monitoring of grant fund usage by sub-recipients

across the state throughout the duration of the grant period. These processes include: bi-weekly grant funding drawdown

requests; monthly, quarterly, and annual Financial Status Reports (FSRs); and continual communication and technical

assistance between the sub-recipients and OWD’s Grants Management Team. All of these procedures will allow OWD to

closely monitor how each sub-recipient is utilizing their grant funds as the grant progresses. If OWD detects that certain

sub-recipients are underutilizing their funds, while others are experiencing greater need for the funds than expected, then

OWD can strategically redistribute or reallocate funds as appropriate to ensure the funds are utilized to address the

greatest areas of need. These efforts, if necessary, will include close communication with all sub-recipients involved.

Explain your plan for developing and implementing corrective action, where required, to ensure adherence to

the project goals:

Corrective actions may include policy changes, provision of additional documentation, training and more, up to and

including, disallowed costs. Should corrective actions be required to correct deficiencies, the State utilizes the following

process for monitoring of grant activities. Upon conclusion of monitoring, a report is developed and presented to LWDA

leadership that details the deficiencies, specific criteria violated, required corrective actions, and the timeline for

execution. LWDAs are required to submit Findings Resolution Responses in accordance with the timeline specified

(usually 30 days) to keep the State informed about the progress of corrective actions prior to full resolution. In the event

that the LWDA fails to take timely action to correct identified findings, OWD may implement sanctions as allowable per

federal and State law. If issues arise outside of the annual monitoring process, OWD may open a desk review into the

suspect activities. After identification of any violations, a report is developed and follows the same corrective action

process detailed above.

COVID-19 DISASTER RECOVERY NATIONAL DISLOCATED …...disaster that the project need exists within...

Documents

Transcript of COVID-19 DISASTER RECOVERY NATIONAL DISLOCATED …...disaster that the project need exists within...