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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219- 6871.
The U.S. Department of Labor is providing a $4.9 million
grant to assist 1,911 workers affected by defense reductions in Taunton and
Needham, Mass., Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich announced today during a
visit to Needham. The grant is the largest ever awarded Massachusetts for
worker retraining under the Clinton Administration.
"We are committed to lending whatever assistance we can to
enhance the skills and opportunities of American workers who, through no fault
of their own, become dislocated," Reich said. "Through training, retraining and
support services we can make these workers better equipped for today's global
labor market."
The grant, targeting the defense industry employees of GTE
Government Systems Corporation, will assist more than 200 workers targeted for
dislocation by the end of next year and an additional 1700 workers in need of
skills training to adapt to the company's plan to diversify into commercial and
non-defense markets.
The grant is authorized under the Job Training Partnership
Act. It will provide support services, including skills-upgrading activities to
current employees of GTE GSC. The skills upgrading is necessary in order to
avoid future layoffs as a result of defense cutbacks.
Services also include assessment and career planning
personal skills inventory workshops, individual counseling, group workshops,
job development, occupational skills training, child care assistance and
transportation assistance. Needs-related payments will be available to provide
income support to participants enrolled in training who exhaust their
unemployment compensation and meet certain income criteria.
The dislocated worker program is a comprehensive retraining
approach to assist workers who have been, or are about to be, laid off for
reasons such as technological change, foreign competition or government
actions. Generally such workers are eligible if they are unlikely to return to
their previous industry or occupation.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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