$500,000 Given to Connecticut to Aid Workers
GRANT
The New Britain Herald
Tia Albright
Boston University Washington News Service
October 3, 2006
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 – Connecticut will receive $500,000 in federal funds to help workers get back on their feet after losing their jobs for trade-related reasons.
The U.S. Department of Labor made the grant to aid the state in providing job training, relocation and employment programs for workers, Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., announced Friday.
“Losing their jobs turns these people’s lives upside down, both in terms of their job loss and financially being able to pay the bills,” said Michael Bartley, regional job center director for the Connecticut Department of Labor. “It also affects their self-esteem because losing a job is a stressful and anxiety-filled experience.”
Bartley said many workers who have been employed by the same company for years face a tight labor market, making it difficult to find jobs in similar trades that pay comparable wages.
“Training, relocation and employment programs open doors for workers to get skill training to aid them in the competitive job market,” Bartley said. “They can get advanced training in their field or retrained in a field with more job openings.”
Funds are awarded under the trade adjustment assistance program, a government program that works with state and local agencies to provide assistance to American workers whose jobs are affected by international trade.
The program provides money for the agencies to set up relocation programs and job training so that affected workers are able to go back into the increasingly competitive job market and find jobs.
“The goal is for workers to return to suitable employment as soon as possible,” Bartley said. “Any money that can be poured into the system will have a significant impact.”
In 2005, 55,293 people registered for income support, one of the categories of aid under the trade readjustment assistance program, according the U.S. Department of Labor.
Each year the program receives more than $220 million from Congress.
“This important grant will help Connecticut workers stay competitive in our global economy,” Johnson said. “Workers affected by trade deserve access to cutting-edge training that will help them find new jobs and take advantage of new opportunities.”
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