Training-related Q&A
Q. What is the current situation regarding state and federal training money for laid off SPEEA-represented employees?
A. Many funding sources are uncertain as to whether there will be enough resources to meet the present need. We are currently working with our elected officials at the federal and state levels to encourage the sponsorship of legislation to provide funding for retraining. Recently our federal legislators tried to attach this kind of funding to some legislation and were unsuccessful in that attempt. However, we are hopeful that Congress and/or the State of Washington will be able to secure those funds in the near future.
Q: Who do I contact to see if these resources are currently available?
1) Most community colleges have Worker Retraining Offices that provide some funding for training and expenses. Contact the Community College that you're interested in attending for more specific information.
2) Trade Adjustment Assistance - Check these sites for more information about eligibility for funding under the current Trade Act Determination.
http://www.wa.gov/esd/boeing/taa.htm
http://www.wa.gov:80/esd/boeing/trade_act_handout.htm
3) WorkSource - Contact them to find out about training funds for demand occupations.
Q. Where can I go for general information about retraining and/or help with my job search?
A. Check these websites:
http://www-kntwgs-12/employment/ctc/
http://reachingout-washington.com/
Q. Is there anything I can do to help in the effort to obtain training funds?
A You can contact your legislators to seek their support on any legislation that will provide funding of retraining. The most effective method for providing your input is to send a hand-written letter. Phone calls are also effective. Email is probably the least valuable. As you can imagine our elected officials are experiencing an abnormally high volume of email these days.
The following link will enable you to get the contact info necessary to contact your state and federal legislators.
Federal http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/
State http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/default.htm