N.W. Georgia receives $1 million training grant for long-term unemployed

Rome News-Tribune

by Staff Reports

The Northwest Georgia Workforce Investment Board has received a $1,092,930 grant to help workers who have been unemployed for a long time.

The grant, from the U.S. Department of Labor, provides reimbursement of training costs to employers who hire long-term unemployed job seekers in Floyd and 14 other Northwest Georgia counties. The grant is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Long-term unemployed mean those who have been unemployed for 16 weeks under this grant, said Sam Hall, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Labor.

“During this time of economic recovery, many dislocated workers, in order to re-enter the workforce, need on-the-job training for the skills that are in demand by employers,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “This grant will help both employers and employees.”

When an employer hires a new employee, there are certain costs associated with orientation and training. The grant helps with those costs. Qualified employees, who have been working with a Georgia Department of Labor career counselor, are referred to the employer. If the employer hires the candidate, the trainee is provided the same opportunities and benefits as other employees, while receiving training to increase their job skills and become a more productive worker for the company.

Potential employers must be in the private-for-profit or non-profit sectors. The program is not an option for public sector jobs. For companies with 50 or fewer employees, the reimbursement is up to 90 percent. It could be up to 75 percent for employers with 51 to 250 workers, and up to 50 percent for employers with 251 or more employees.

A list of labor department program coordinators and career advisors are as follows:

Rome Career Center, serving Floyd and Gordon counties, Ann Bentley, career advisor, at (706) 295-6051. Blue Ridge Career Center, serving Fannin, Gilmer and Pickens counties, Lisa Adkisson, coordinator, and Kim Earley, career advisor, at (706) 632-2033; Cartersville Career Center, serving Bartow and Paulding counties, Ann Rapp, career advisor, at (770) 387-3760; Cedartown Career Center, serving Polk and Haralson counties, Ylonda Campbell and Ann Bentley at (770) 749-2213; Dalton Career Center, serving Whitfield and Murray counties, Kevin Hodge, career advisor, at (706) 272-2301; Northwest Georgia Career Center, serving Chattooga, Walker, Dade and Catoosa counties, Gayle Kimble, career advisor, at (706) 861-1990.