Looking for Jobs

I attended an organizational meeting this morning with the Governor's Dislocated Worker Task Force, to address the recent loss of 137 jobs at Champion Parts here in Hope. This downsizing or layoff, whatever you choose to call it, is going to be a big hit to our local economy. It is imperative for those displaced workers to have every bit of information possible to find future employment and what the state can offer in helping them to do so. Representatives from several state agencies were at the meeting to develop a plan in reaching out and providing assistance to these workers. A workshop for the Champion workers has been set for Thursday July 19th, at UACCH, beginning at 9:00 that morning. Agencies offering services to the workers will be available that day, and hopefully, many of the 137 will be able to attend. The most disheartening aspect of the meeting was discovering the company's failure to cooperate with the agency's request for information to identify the workers. With their cooperation, valuable time could have been saved in identifying all those affected. The Task Force will now rely on mass advertising to get the word out about their services. It is always difficult when a company downsizes or closes down, but cooperation must come from all sides. Here's hoping it will.