Published: Saturday, July 25, 2009
More help for idled workers in Snohomish County
About 100 more laid-off workers in Snohomish County will get help paying for retraining classes because of a $450,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant from the federal government.
The county Workforce Development Council doled out the money to three community colleges and an engineering services firm this week, creating 98 more government-funded slots in retraining programs already bursting at the seams.
“At a time when so many job candidates need additional skills and training to find re-employment, it is critical that the work force development system place as many resources as possible into a range of training options that meet the needs of growth industries,” said Amy Persell, director of service delivery for the council.
Programs at Edmonds Community College will see the most student funding, with 45 student spots funded by the act. Everett Community College has funding for 20 more students, and Cascadia Community College has funding for 16.
Next Level Engineering Services, in Mill Creek, was allocated funding to train 17 students.
That brings the total number of Snohomish County retraining students funded by Recovery Act money to 607.
Students receiving state or federal money for retraining are obligated to train for re-entry into in-demand sectors, such as health care for business administration.
State funding only covers the cost of retraining about 6,000 students every year. But the state Board of Community and Technical Colleges expects about 15,000 students to seek worker-retraining benefits at two-year schools this fall.
The county Workforce Development Council doled out the money to three community colleges and an engineering services firm this week, creating 98 more government-funded slots in retraining programs already bursting at the seams.
“At a time when so many job candidates need additional skills and training to find re-employment, it is critical that the work force development system place as many resources as possible into a range of training options that meet the needs of growth industries,” said Amy Persell, director of service delivery for the council.
Programs at Edmonds Community College will see the most student funding, with 45 student spots funded by the act. Everett Community College has funding for 20 more students, and Cascadia Community College has funding for 16.
Next Level Engineering Services, in Mill Creek, was allocated funding to train 17 students.
That brings the total number of Snohomish County retraining students funded by Recovery Act money to 607.
Students receiving state or federal money for retraining are obligated to train for re-entry into in-demand sectors, such as health care for business administration.
State funding only covers the cost of retraining about 6,000 students every year. But the state Board of Community and Technical Colleges expects about 15,000 students to seek worker-retraining benefits at two-year schools this fall.
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