News Release
ETA News Release: [August 7, 2003]
Contact Name: Ed Frank
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676
Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $4.1 Million Grant To Aid South Central Wisconsin Workers
Funds To Support Re-employment Programs for 1,000 Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has announced a National Emergency Grant of up to $4,126,936 to aid approximately 1,000 workers who were laid off from 12 companies in South Central Wisconsin. The grant will help workers dislocated from: CUNA & Affiliates/CUNA Mutual; Eldon Office Products; En Chem; Humana, Inc.; Johnson Controls; J-Star; Kmart; Kohl's Food Stores; Mayville Engineering Company; Nestles Purina PetCare/Friskies; Planar, and TAB Products.
"The President and I are committed to getting Wisconsin's displaced workers the skills training they need to find new jobs," Chao said. "The $4.1 million in funds from the Department of Labor will be deployed as quickly as possible to help these Wisconsin workers."
Secretary Chao today also announced a similar grant that will help displaced workers in the Green Bay area. The grant announcements come just a week after Chao and two other Cabinet secretaries toured Wisconsin to get input from citizens about job creation and to discuss the President's jobs and growth plan.
The grant, $2.1 million of which will be provided immediately, delivers critical help to dislocated Wisconsin workers, underscoring one of the main goals of the President's economic agenda. Operated by the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, the grant will supplement existing re-employment programs, serving unemployed workers from Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk counties.
Principal occupations for which training will be offered include accounting, business mid-management, computer support specialist, system analyst, licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, mechanical design technician, medical assistant, network assistant, and Microsoft certified system engineer.
National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary's discretionary fund. A grant is awarded after a state submits a request and the grant guidelines have been met.
For more information on the Department of Labor's unemployment and re-employment programs, please go to www.dol.gov.
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