Florida getting $7 millon to retrain workers effected by spill

   While local governments struggle to get reimbursed for millions spent fighting the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill, the federal government is about to grant Florida $7 million in retraining programs for laid off workers in the fishing, hospitality and tourism industries in 27 coastal counties, Florida Today reports.
   The National Emergency Grant, announced Wednesday by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, an Orlando Democrat, is coming from the U.S. Department of Labor and will be administered by the state Agency for Workforce Innovation.
   Counties covered by the grant include Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Jefferson, Franklin, Gulf, Bay, Lee, Collier and Charlotte. Florida got the second-largest haul of a total of $27 million worth of retraining money, with Louisiana getting $10 million and Mississippi and Alabama each getting $5 million.
   The programs eventually will be available at AWI's one-stop career centers. However, an AWI spokeswoman said it was too early to say when the programs will be up and running.
   U.S. Department of Labor spokeswoman Lina Garcia said the money will pay for rapid retraining and certification programs so that workers can launch new careers or find new jobs as quickly as possible.