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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information may be out of date.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 has awarded California a $6.1
million grant to help find new jobs for 1,000 workers who will be laid off when
the Long Beach Naval Shipyard closes, Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich
announced today.
"This money will help these people find new jobs. They
helped win the Cold War and now we want to assist them in finding new ways to
put their experience to work," said Reich. "We said we would help people who
lose their jobs because of the shift away from defense spending, and we're
keeping that promise."
The Long Beach shipyard was identified for closure last
summer in the final round of the Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) process.
No layoff date for the employees has been set, although the final closure for
the base will be Sept. 30, 1997.
The money will be made available through the Job Training
Partnership Act (JTPA). Last March, California received $18 million in a JTPA
grant to help 5,000 southern California aerospace workers who lost their
jobs.
The latest grant will be administered by the city of Long
Beach and will allow the shipyard workers to receive help at any of 14 centers,
rather than having to go to a single location.
"This money will be provided in the form of vouchers which
the workers can use as they see fit for a wide variety of services, including
job placement and retraining. In addition, they can get help at different sites
rather than going to a single location. This is the kind of common-sense choice
President Clinton has been talking about in his G.I. Bill for America's
Workers," said Reich.
The workers will be eligible for a variety of different
services, including job search and placement help, career counseling, skills
training. While they are looking, they can also use their vouchers for support
services, including transportation, food, clothing and child care.
Under the grant announced today, $3 million will be
available immediately, while the remainder will be sent after the first 500
workers join the program.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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