A $1.4 million federal grant will target laid-off workers in Missoula, Ravalli and Mineral counties

A $1.4 million federal grant will provide retraining and job search assistance to about 240 displaced workers in Missoula, Ravalli and Mineral counties, Montana’s U.S. senators said Tuesday.

By BUDDY SMITH Staff Reporter Ravalli Republic

The National Emergency Grant funds released by the U.S. Department of Labor are earmarked for workers laid off from Cameraland, Nutritional Labs, Casey Family Foundation, the Missoulian, Northern Specialty, Louisiana Pacific, SIRCO Manufacturing Inc., SEA-NIC, Western Montana Mill Work, Cross Media Services, Tricon Timber West, Jones Equipment, Washington Corporation and Bitterroot International Systems Inc.

The lay-offs occurred from January through June, said Suzanne Payton of the state Department of Labor in Helena, and include people who worked at two businesses in Ravalli County.

Funding will help with job search and retraining assistance, including college courses or "skills upgrading," as well as relocation, if necessary, said Payton.

"It’s a really great program for people," she said. "They can change their whole career if they want to."

In separate press releases, Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Conrad Burns, R-Mont., said they supported the work transition grant.

"These funds will help to get these folks back into the workforce," Burns said.

He said $549,000 will be released immediately, with the Montana Department of Labor managing the funds and operating the dislocated worker transition program.

"These funds won’t alleviate all our economic problems, but they’ll be a real help to get folks back on their feet," Baucus said.

When they submitted the grant application, state labor department officials noted workers in the mining and timber industry currently receive National Emergency Grant assistance, but now "support jobs" in manufacturing, transportation, communications, retail and wholesale trade, finance and services are being affected by recent layoffs and the national economic downturn, Baucus said.

According to Payton, Montana received five similar grants this year.

"And that is a good thing, but it’s also a bad thing, because it says we have a lot of layoffs, too," she said.

Reporter Buddy Smith can be reached at 363-3300 or [email protected]

http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2003/10/09/news/znews04.txt