S.J. County receives $995K grant to retrain unemployed workers
The San Joaquin County Employment and Economic Development Department and San Joaquin WorkNet on Thursday announced that it had received $995,810 from the California Economic Development Department through the 2018 Trade and Economic Transition National Dislocated Worker Grant.
According to a Thursday press release from WorkNet, the funds will be used to help 150 unemployed workers in the county who lost jobs in industries such as retail, manufacturing and technology due to automation or changing skill demands.
Services funded by the grant will include career counseling, skill assessment, job training and paid on-thejob training.
“There’s a menu of providers including the community college and private sector agencies that provide training,” John Solis, executive director of WorkNet said. “We’re focusing on the skill sets that they already have.”
Industries in the county looking to hire skilled employees include advanced manufacturing, construction, energy, health care, transportation and logistics, the press release said.
For participants who are hired immediately, Solis said that WorkNet will provide them uniforms, equipment and help them get transportation or childcare services if they need them.
“Those individuals who can’t find jobs right away, we do an assessment of their skill sets and their interests to help them find the jobs that they’re best suited for,” Solis said.
After the assessment, Solis said that clients might be placed in pre-apprenticeship programs for trades such as construction, training at San Joaquin Delta College for careers such as engineering or even pain on-the-job training, for which WorkNet would reimburse employers up to 50 percent for up to six months.
WorkNet already has the funding to help clients find jobs or training, Solis said, and is ready to begin immediately.
“Finding a job is a job,” Solis said. “The longer they wait, the harder it is to get a job but if they’re committed to coming in on a regular basis, they’ll get a job sooner rather than later.”
For more information, call 209-468-3500.