Pilot program helps Montana job seekers with money, customized services

It’s tough to get to a job interview if your car won’t start.

A new federal program being tested in Montana is designed to help job seekers overcome such obstacles. It also provides a cash bonus as an incentive for the unemployed to get and keep a job.

Montana is one of seven states taking part in a U.S. Department of Labor’s personal reemployment account pilot program.

Eligible participants receive up to $3,000 that can be spent on things such as computer classes to improve skills, said Deb Buxbaum, the field operation supervisor with the Work Force Services division of the Montana Department of Labor.

"People will be able to select the services they need to help find a job," she said. "This will put a lot of decisions back into the hands of individuals."

By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune Staff Writer

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