Agencies to assist unemployed

November 3, 2005
State and local officials are rapidly "in the process" of implementing a plan to assist hundreds of workers displaced by layoffs at a pair of Lebanon manufacturing plants.
Kimberly Roberts, the Middle Tennessee rapid response coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said the department is "in the process" of dispatching rapid response teams to assist affected workers at the two companies.
"That involves us explaining about information and services … that they are eligible for as dislocated workers, losing their jobs through no fault of their own, such as unemployment and insurance," Roberts said. "We also go over training that may be available to them."
In recent days, aerospace industry manufacturer Parker Seals has announced plans to gradually "phase out" 105 jobs over the next 18 months. Television manufacturer Toshiba America Consumer Products – a cornerstone of the city's manufacturing community since the late 1970s – will lay off nearly 300 workers, beginning with 60 layoffs in late December.
Locally, Middle Tennessee Career Center Wilson County Coordinator Connie Humphreys said workers impacted by the Parker Seals layoffs have started visiting the center at 813 N. Cumberland St. at a "steady, slow pace."
A publicly funded agency providing assistance to both job seekers and employers in the county, the career center will offer various forms of assistance to displaced workers, including tutorials on resumes and job interviews.
As many of those impacted by the planned layoffs have likely been with their employers for several years, Humphreys explained workers often have to be brought up to date as to the status of the local job market.
"There's a real learning curve for them because getting the job is all about having the tools to get the job," she said, noting the center offers courses on resumes and job interviews. "Keeping the job is about your work ethic, your soft skills … So, we have to help people understand that."
Humphreys added the career center is working with "several employers who are looking to hire people," and she said some displaced workers might fit into the positions.
"Our purpose is two-fold. One is to serve the employer and help them stay in business, help them get people, and the other is to serve the job seeker," she said. "We are designed to do that for our county."
For additional information, officials at the Wilson County career center can be reached at (615) 862-8890.
Staff Writer Brian Harville can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 16 or by e-mail at brian.harville@lebanondemocrat.com.