COLUMBUS (September 22, 2006) - Governor Bob Taft today announced that $5 million has been made available to help regional and local communities address the impact of pending and future large-scale layoffs. Administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, these mass layoff planning grants will enable impacted communities to immediately begin developing workforce development strategies to respond to the layoffs before they occur.

"The state is committed to helping communities facing mass layoffs to best prepare for the impact of job losses and these planning grants are an important new tool in our efforts," Taft said. "It is important that we capitalize on the time before actual layoffs to aggressively plan community level strategies that bring together all available resources needed to re-employ the workforce and maintain community vitality."

Today's announcement follows last week's news that in 2008 Ford Motor Company intends to close its Maumee stamping facility, currently employing 700 workers, and will either sell off or close the Automotive Components Holding Company in Sandusky, currently employing 1,700 workers.

Communities in which closings or layoffs totaling more than 500 have been announced may apply for the grant. Grant funds must be used to address workforce-related issues, such as identifying the collective strengths and weaknesses that exist in the current workforce to determine what training may be needed to ensure these workers are a viable part of the economic development strategy of the community.

These grants are the first step of an ongoing effort to support affected communities. Additional training resources will be made available to meet the needs identified through this planning process. Mass layoff assistance to individual workers is also available through ODJFS and the local One-Stop workforce system.

Grant application materials are available at:
http://www.ohioworkforce.org/workforceprof/MassFunds.stm

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