COSHOCTON -- More than 40 recently laid-off workers at Clow Water Systems could receive help from a federal program designed to provide assistance to people who have lost jobs because of increased imports.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Monday certified laid-off employees of Clow Water Systems Co. in Coshocton to be eligible for worker adjustment assistance through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, as announced by a press release from the office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.
"It's meant for dislocated workers whose jobs are being eliminated because either what they're making or somewhere in the process they're product line is going overseas," Coshocton County Job and Family Services workforce trainer Lisa Scott said.
The program offers training for employment in another job or career, income support and allowances for job searching and needed relocation for people who have lost jobs or have had hours and wages cuts because of imported goods made in other countries. Workers can receive free training and needs-based assistance, much like unemployment, which is based on previous wages earned.
"It can work hand in hand with the Workforce Investment Act program, which is another tuition assistance program and part of the TAA can be tuition assistance, but there's a lot of other things TAA allows that the WIA program doesn't that allows the dislocated workers a lot more options," Scott said. "(It offers) other perks and things they wouldn't normally get as a regular dislocated worker with what we call rapid response dollars."
In September, 55 workers who lost their jobs at the closing of Ansell Occupational Healthcare were approved for TAA assistance as well. The company, which makes protective gloves for the health care industry, now is headquartered in Australia with manufacturing jobs outsourced to Mexico and Sri Lanka throughout the past several years.
To read the rest of the article, click on the source link above.
