​The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has been awarded a $11,147,910 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to provide comprehensive employment and training services to help reemploy dislocated workers and other eligible individuals from underserved and historically marginalized communities or groups as the state recovers from the unprecedented employment and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Services will be delivered through Illinois' Workforce System.

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​The goal of the QUEST Disaster Recovery DWG program 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 locally identified critical sectors. The activities of the QUEST DWG will yield improved individual and community resilience to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The QUEST DWG program will be aligned with other state and local strategic priorities, resources, and programs and will focus on returning dislocated workers and other eligible individuals to sustainable, quality, family-supporting employment

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​Grantees will provide comprehensive employment and training services, including Career Services, Training and Work-Based Training, Supportive Services, follow-up services, and Disaster Relief Employment services.

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​Eligible participants include dislocated workers, long-term unemployed individuals, individuals laid off due to the COVID pandemic, and self-employed individuals who are now unemployed.

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