DCEO Director Ribley announces additional funding for dislocated worker training

DCEO Director Warren Ribley visited the Marion One-Stop Business & Employment/Illinois workNet Center on Friday, October 8, 2010 to announce that $3 million in state workforce funds will be released to help dislocated workers receive training. Director Warren Ribley stated $108,607 in funding is being allocated for our local area (LWIA #25).

DCEO administers the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) on behalf of the state, which provides job training and workforce services for adults, youth and dislocated workers. These funds will hopefully help get dislocated workers back into training programs that were stopped when the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) allotment to Illinois was cut by 16 percent this program year.

“Getting people who want to work, back to work is our number one priority,” said Director Ribley. “Caseworkers at Illinois workNet Centers across the state have run out of their annual federal allotment and many clients are on a waiting list for services. We’re acting now to fill the gap to get people back into training and back into the workforce.”

Man-Tra-Con CEO Kathy Lively stated that there are over 100 people on our lists, both adult and dislocated workers, waiting to receive funding for training and this funding may not be enough to help all of them. “Some of these funds that are being released will be able to help those folks who are going back to work and may need some retraining on the job,” Kathy added.

Other speakers present included Senator Gary Forby, who said that these additional funds will help get dislocated workers trained so that when new businesses come to our area they will already be trained and ready to go to work.

On behalf of all 26 Workforce Investment Areas, Illinois Workforce Partnership (IWP) President David Stoecklin thanked the Governor, the State of Illinois, Warren Ribley and said, “We have 26 great institutions throughout the state to make great use of these funds and I thank you all!”

Several Man-Tra-Con customers were also present
to speak about their personal experiences:

Jennifer Echols, an unemployed mother of two, is hoping to be able complete her training to become a physical therapist. “I’m very, very glad to hear that there’s going to be funds put back in this program… so that all of us can have the chance to go to school, and better ourselves… and get out there and start working again… and hopefully, find more secure jobs that will help keep us going,” Echols said.

Fleda McCoy was a fieldworker for GROW in Illinois, a social services program funded by the state. Her position was eliminated due to cuts in funding. She has been unemployed for 14 months, awaiting training funds. “I had planned on attending John A. Logan for Records Management Technology training when the funding was cut. I am extremely pleased to see that this funding is being restored,” Fleda explained.

Donny Craft worked at Transcraft Corporation in Anna, Illinois for 24 years when the plant closed and moved to Kentucky. “I was signed up to go to school in the fall when I found out that there was no funding, so I was forced to go back and tell them to cancel my classes. Now that this funding has come through, I think I’ll go back and get signed back up,” said Craft.

Mike Nelson, a Peer Counselor for Transcraft is thankful for the funds coming in, “Unfortunately due to lack of funds, a lot of people still haven’t been able to get the training they need… With the help of Man-Tra-Con and the funding that’s coming in, hopefully we can get everybody going, get trained, and get back to work.”