HELENA, Mont. On July 08, 2024 - Governor Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) today announced the state secured a nearly $2 million investment to provide workforce retraining and support services for workers impacted by the closures of Pyramid Lumber in Seeley Lake and Roseburg Forest Products in Missoula.

“Thanks to the work of Commissioner Swanson and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, our lumber industry professionals facing unemployment due to recent mill closures will have more resources to get back on their feet and in a career,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Our administration will continue to secure support for Montanans and industries in need.”

The grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor assists dislocated workers and those indirectly impacted by partnering with local organizations to deliver career services, training opportunities, and other transitional resources to provide new employment opportunities. Earlier today, the Department of Labor announced the first disbursement of $800,000 to DLI.

Through its Job Service offices, DLI will partner with local economic development organizations, training entities and employers, the Business Engagement Team, and the Registered Apprenticeship Program to develop a workforce plan that identifies the best training opportunities to provide industry-recognized credentials and certifications aligned with high-demand occupations in the region.

“For over a century, the timber industry has been an integral part of the Montana economy, and the loss of these companies is felt across our state,” DLI Commissioner Sarah Swanson said. “Empowering Montanans through work and opportunity is our work at DLI, and with these funds we will help every impacted worker in the region leverage their Montana work ethic, skill up, and reenter the workforce in high wage, high skilled jobs.”

In April, the governor and DLI announced the Skills Matching Dashboard to help identify the specific skills required in several jobs in the lumber industry to match those skills to other professions. Through upskilling and credentialing, DLI will facilitate re-employment of laid off workers, as well as those indirectly impacted to allow them to continue residing in and contributing to the western Montana economy.

Counties able to access the grant funding include Missoula, Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Powell, and Sanders, as well as nearby American Indian reservations including Blackfeet and Flathead.

For more information on the National Dislocated Worker Grants, see here.