Georgia Receives Federal Grant for Re-Training Ford and GM Employees, Suppliers
| Friday, October 27, 2006 |
Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774, Office of Workforce Development, (404) 463-5283
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Georgia Receives Federal Grant for Re-Training Ford and GM Employees, Suppliers
$3 Million for Workforce Training for Dislocated Workers
ATLANTA — Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that the state of Georgia has been awarded a U.S. Department of Labor Career Advancement Account (CAA) Demonstration grant to re-train displaced workers of the Ford Motor Company, General Motors and their suppliers. Georgia is one of eight states that will receive $1.5 million the first year and an additional $1.5 million the second year, depending on performance. Individual employees are eligible for $3,000 per year for education and training. Governor Perdue and Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond applied for the grant collaboratively.
“This federal funding will help these faithful and reliable employees recover and move forward to a prosperous future for themselves and their families in Georgia” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “The demands of global competition require that we provide avenues for workers to upgrade their skills. We are constantly innovating and looking for better ways to provide employment and training services.”
The CAA’s are self-managed personal accounts that can be used by any displaced or soon-to-be-displaced worker to pay for expenses directly related to improving their job skills, such as tuition, books and fees. The accounts will enable workers to gain skills needed to successfully enter, navigate and advance in the 21st century job market.
The federal funding must be matched with equal state funding from existing state workforce development funds, the HOPE scholarship or other grants. The CAA grant will be administered by the Georgia Department of Labor. Individuals interested in applying for a CAA account should contact their local workforce development board or the Georgia Department of Labor at www.dol.state.ga.us. More information on Career Advancement Accounts can be found online at www.doleta.gov.
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