KOROR, Palau — The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act office will distribute about $11.5 million to 516 people who qualified for WIOA assistance in 2020 but didn’t receive full payments.
Glenda Ngirmeriil, WIOA executive director, said the office lacked funds to cover the full amount owed to the 516 applicants. After searching U.S. states and territories, the U.S. Department of Labor found more than $9 million in unspent funds in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. With CNMI and U.S. Department of Labor approval, the money was transferred to Palau.
“It was an emotional moment,” Ngirmeriil said of the funding. President Surangel Whipps Jr. praised her office’s efforts.
WIOA officials will contact all 516 individuals to schedule orientations about the required paperwork to receive the money. People should not call the office to inquire about the list, Ngirmeriil said. Those who have left the country are ineligible for the funds, due to U.S. regulations.
The office must distribute the money quickly and is urging recipients to submit paperwork within seven days of their orientation.