CCC awarded DOL Grant to support laid-off Blount workers

Clackamas Community College (CCC) will continue to support former Blount International Inc. workers as they gain the skills to re-enter the workforce through a $275,517 federal Department of Labor National Emergency Grant awarded on February 24th.

CCC has been working with 90 former Blount employees since November 2013. The DOL grant will provide additional funding to allow CCC to continue this work for two more years. The employees are eligible for Trade Act Adjustment (TAA) support after losing jobs due to foreign trade.

The grant will enable the CCC’s Workforce Development Services to provide “wrap around services” that support the workers as they retrain for new jobs, according to Roni Wilhelm, associate director of Workforce Development Services. This may include assistance with child care, tools, books, transportation and related services.

“This grant gives Clackamas Community College’s Workforce Development Services team the opportunity to continue to work with these 90 former Blount employees as a group and help them get the skills and training they need to get back into Oregon’s workforce as soon as possible,” Wilhelm said.

For more information, please contact Roni Wilhelm at 503-594-3450 or roniw@clackamas.edu.