Are You a Dislocated Worker?
Are You a Dislocated Worker?
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Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas offers a unique services program that is available to individuals who have lost their job or experienced a layoff due to force reductions, plant closings, economic events, or natural disasters, with little chance of returning to work. The program is designed to increase employment prospects for dislocated workers, increase employment retention and earnings, and provide training for the current job market.
Who is a Dislocated Worker?
A dislocated worker is defined as an adult, 18 years or older, who - through no fault of his or her own - has been terminated or laid off, received a notice of termination or layoff from employment, is eligible for unemployment insurance, or has exhausted his or her unemployment insurance. A dislocated worker may also be defined as someone having demonstrated an appropriate attachment to the workforce, but who is not eligible for unemployment insurance and is unlikely to return to his or her previous job. This may include workers at facilities that have announced closure or substantial, permanent layoffs or self-employed workers (such as farmers or ranchers) who, as a result of economic conditions or a natural disaster are left without work. The definition of a dislocated worker is broad enough to even include a displaced homemaker who is no longer supported by another family member.
Programs Available
Funded under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the dislocated worker program is the nation’s premier employment and training program that allows for individualized re-employment services. Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas provides the program at no expense to employers or workers.
Rapid Response
Rapid Response is an early intervention outplacement service offered to employers and workers affected by layoff and plant closings that affect 50 or more workers. Rapid Response activities are designed to transition dislocated workers from the initial notification to the participation in the WIA program with the goal of returning workers to productive employment as quickly as possible. Rapid Response teams work with employers and employee representative(s) to quickly maximize public and private efforts to minimize disruptions associated with job loss. Businesses are eligible for Rapid Response when layoffs involve fifty (50) or more workers, or when plant closings or mass layoffs affect fewer than fifty (50) employees, but occurs in a business or industry which forms the economic base of a small community (population 50,000 or less).
Rapid Response services include:
- Career counseling
- Job search assistance
- Resume preparation assistance
- Interviewing skills workshops
- Information on local labor market
- Unemployment insurance
- Financial counseling
- Stress management
- Information about training and education opportunities
Services Available at Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas
Job search, job placement assistance, and labor market information are among the basic services offered to employers and/or dislocated workers at each of the Workforce Solutions locations. In order to provide clients with various means of communication, the centers offer conveniences such as the use of computers, internet, telephones, and fax machines to facilitate job searches. More comprehensive services are also available such as assessments, the development of individual employment plans, and career counseling and planning. Re-employment services offer workers assistance in finding a new job. For individuals requiring re-training, training programs are available to help job seekers develop marketable skills that will help them to obtain employment. Customers are linked to training opportunities in their communities, including both occupational and basic skills training.
The Work Certified Program is also available for dislocated employees to refresh and establish their understanding of basic business skills such as: reading comprehension, computer basics, business math, resume writing and interview skills, customer service, work maturity, and business writing. Upon graduation, individuals are identified as “Work Certified” and provided with a certification card. This service is designed to make job seekers more marketable and ensure employers that they are hiring qualified employees with a strong work ethic.
To find a Workforce Solutions center near you, please visit the locations page.