Tennessee DOL Training Thousands
The agency announced that from April 2012 to March 2013, more than 6,000 unemployed or underemployed Tennessee workers were enrolled in training programs.
The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development's Adult and Dislocated Worker Program is giving thousands of eligible, unemployed or underemployed Tennessee workers and training to help them begin health care, welding, trucking, and other careers in their local communities. "When job seekers come into our Career Centers, we do an objective assessment to determine their skills in a particular area and match those with job opportunities based on their skills. We try to move people directly into a job with a company that is hiring," said Sterling van der Spuy, Workforce Services administrator for the department.
From April 2012 to March 2013, more than 6,000 workers were enrolled, the department announced this week.
If Career Center staff cannot create an immediate transition to an employment opportunity for someone, "the next step is to use Jobs4TN.gov to examine job opportunities and in-demand occupations in the area to determine a successful career path of interest to the job seeker. We assess the person's skills and abilities and decide if this is a candidate for whom we could make some training investment to be successful – maybe to meet the demands of a new industry that has just moved into the community," van der Spuy said.
The training is made available with federal funds through the Workforce Investment Act. In addition to classroom training, 1,204 workers were enrolled in on-the-job training statewide through March 2013. Employers and workers seeking more information about WIA training can go to http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/empwfd.shtml.