NETT LAKE- Bois Forte Band members who have experienced job loss and employment hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will be getting assistance from a $2.9 million U.S. Department of Labor grant award announced on Monday.
The Band was among only 22 applicants nationwide awarded funds in DOL’s QUEST Disaster Recovery National Displaced Worker competitive grant program to support projects that enable unemployed and underemployed people to enter, return to, or advance in high-quality jobs in critical and growing sectors of the economy. These grants prioritize individuals whose employment has been negatively impacted by the pandemic and individuals from historically marginalized and underserved populations.
“The emerging new economy is not benefitting all industries or populations equally,” said a DOL statement accompanying the announcement of the grant competition in July. “Historically marginalized individuals, including African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Latinos or Hispanics, and people with disabilities, as well as young adults aged 20 to 24 years, part-time workers, and people without high school diplomas experienced the most significant employment hardships during the first year of the pandemic. Nearly all of these groups have not regained their pre-pandemic employment rates and continue to experience the most significant employment barriers.”
Doris Isham, the grant manage for Bois Forte, said the grant would be used to recruit employees for identified positions lost due to reasons surrounding the pandemic.
“The hired employees would receive training and education through community colleges or technical colleges to increase skills with a goal of higher quality employment that would be long term,” said Isham, who added that she’ll be meeting with Bois Forte management to explore other avenues to spend down the grant. “We are very fortunate to have received these funds and sincerely thank the U.S. Department of Labor for this generous grant.”
Tribal Chair Cathy Chavers was equally grateful that Bois Forte received the $2.9 million dollar grant as it will eventually help the work force shortage both with Bois Forte Government employment and employment at Fortune Bay Resort Casino and other Bois Forte Development Corporation businesses. Those include the Y Store on Highway 169, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay golf course and the C-Store up in Nett Lake.
“Doris Isham has been working diligently for the tribe to access additional funds to address the workforce issue the tribe is faced with,” said Chavers. “We are very thankful to have Doris and our others within the organization who write grants for Bois Forte.”
As the additional planning process moves forward, the QUEST grant offers an array of other options the Band could consider, including community and participant outreach, engagement with area businesses, collaboration with other employment-related programs, and offering disaster-relief employment opportunities.
Another feature of the QUEST grant is the ability to include self-employed individuals who suffered significant economic harm or unemployment as a result of the pandemic.
“The goal of the QUEST DWG is to enable individuals who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the social and economic inequities that the pandemic exacerbated to enter, return to, or advance in high-quality jobs in growth industries including infrastructure, environment and climate, the care economy, and other critical sectors as defined by the applicant with high-quality jobs,” the DOL statement said.
Tribal nations made up over a quarter of the programs receiving QUEST awards, including grants to the Mille Lacs Band, which received $1 million, and the White Earth Band, which was awarded $1.7 million. Fifteen statewide grants of up to $15 million were also awarded. In total, DOL awarded almost $200 million nationwide to support displaced workers through the QUEST program.