Federal Grant Helps Unemployed Return To Work
July 21, 1999
No. 00-04
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded a grant of $388,000 to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development to help unemployed workers return to work.
In announcing the grant awards, Assistant Secretary of Labor Raymond Bramucci stated, "This administration believes that every person that wants a job should be able to find one. These grants demonstrate our commitment to providing the best possible service to our customers - American workers." Alaska is one of eleven states receiving grants to conduct re-employment services.
The re-employment program identifies unemployed workers who are at risk of running out of unemployment benefits and who need help finding jobs. Trained specialists in Alaska Job Centers assist workers with individual re-employment plans that typically include a variety of work search activities designed to get people back to work as quickly as possible. Individual assistance may include resume preparation, job interview practice, networking with other job seekers, vocational testing and counseling and introduction to job seeking on the Internet. Eligible workers may also be referred to training to improve their chances of finding work.
Ed Flanagan, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development added, "This grant is perfectly timed for improving services we provide to unemployed workers." Referring to the department's recently expanded duties that include administering the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program, Flanagan added, "Alaska's grant will help unemployed workers by closely coordinating the employment service, job training and unemployment programs."
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