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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-6871
The U.S. Labor Department is awarding a $1.2 million grant to Los
Angeles County to lessen the impact on health care workers of the restructuring
of the county public health system. The grant will be used to plan for the
workforce needs of the new system and to develop a small demonstration project
to retrain workers for new careers.
"Health care workers in L.A.County are facing possible job losses as a
result of the impending restructuring," Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman
said. "The county has the foresight to prepare now to retrain health care
workers in the current system to provide the skills which will be needed by the
county and by the private sector. This project protects workers and patients by
ensuring continued delivery of quality health care."
The county Department of Health Services is shifting from a
hospital-based delivery system to a decentralized system of clinics with an
emphasis on preventive care. As many as 6,000 workers will be affected by the
change.
The project was developed with the Service Employees International
Union, Local 660, which represents many county health care workers. The union
will be a partner in managing the project.
During the initial phase, information will be gathered on the expected
loss of jobs in the county; the capability of the county to absorb retrained
workers; how new technologies will affect workers; what skills are available
and what skills will be needed; and the number of workers who are likely to
find jobs in the private health care industry. This data will help the county
identify the skills of those impacted, what retraining they will need and how
to transition into emerging occupations in both public and private health care.
The grant also will support a pilot training for 30 at-risk workers.
The grant is authorized under the dislocated workers provision of the
Job Training Partnership Act and is for a period of one year.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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