News Details

Workforce Development Board of Solano County awarded $500,000 grant to support individuals affected by North Bay wildfires

April 10, 2018

SOLANO COUNTY / FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA – The Workforce Development Board of Solano County (WDB) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Tipping Point Community, a Bay Area non-profit organization, Emergency Relief Fund to help reconnect individuals whose livelihood was adversely affected by the North Bay wild fires. With a mission to fight poverty in the Bay Area, Tipping Point has raised over $33 million dollars for support of low-income communities hardest hit by the October wildfires. This funding will be used to enhance the ongoing collaborative efforts of the North Bay counties to recover and rebuild after the North Bay wild fires.

More than 1,700 Solano County residents became displaced workers because of the North Bay wild fires; representing about 10 percent of Solano's daily Sonoma and Napa County commuters. Over the next 18-months, the WDB will use the grant funding to help displaced workers with new job connections, assisted business development and skills training.

The WDB’s North Bay Wild Fires assistance program will focus on a holistic service delivery model, with case management at its core. Support will include short-term job training, job placement coaching, and wrap-around services, including but not limited to childcare and transportation.  The WDB will conduct an outreach campaign to get individuals back to work quickly and set the stage for long-term family-sustainable employment. Some of the job opportunities will be in occupations that will assist North Bay counties in rebuilding, such as hazardous waste removal, large equipment handling, construction, and manufacturing.

"The North Bay wild fires have created a significant and long-lasting impact for the entire North Bay Region and we may not fully understand its depths for years to come," says Heather Henry, the Solano Workforce Development Board’s Executive Director. “Many of the families in Solano County impacted by the fires were already financially vulnerable. We’re grateful for the opportunity to assist those affected by the fires, and help rebuild our regional workforce.”

“A critical element in the recovery from last October’s devastating wildfires in Sonoma and Napa Counties is getting those affected back to work,” says District 4 Supervisor and Chair of the Board John M. Vasquez.  “The Tipping Point Community grant will go a long way in assisting Solano County residents who found themselves out of work due to the wildfires and place them back on a course of providing for themselves and their families.  The grant, coupled with the ongoing work Solano County has been doing with the Solano Economic Development Corporation and it’s 'Solano Means Business’ initiative means our residents have a greater chance to find meaningful work, closer to home.”

ABOUT THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF SOLANO COUNTY
The Workforce Development Board of Solano County offers programs and services to provide employer’s access to qualified workers, and equip job seekers to compete in today's demanding job market. The WDB is the "HUB" of hiring activity in Solano County, serving employers and job seekers in every community. For more information visit http://SolanoWDB.org