Stimulus dollars fund programs to help unemployed find work
Sheri Fuller
Unlike last year, there will be no stimulus checks mailed out to individuals. However, a new stimulus package is available to anyone still unemployed needing a career change, including moms who never have worked outside the home raising children.
Our economy is at its worst with the unemployment rate this year at 9.4 in the U.S. as a whole, 9.2 in Arizona and 8.4 in Maricopa County.
To make matters worse, these numbers are only based on those individuals claiming unemployment, so the number could very well be higher.
We keep hearing about all these “stimulus plans” being passed out of Washington that are intended to boost the economy, yet people are still without jobs, losing homes and hope.
The only way our economy is going to get any better is by getting people back to work.
The government, along with the Department of Labor has put together the “Workforce Investment Act” the WIA.
The program is meant for the unemployed to get a career change or any employment they may need training in.
To apply, go to one of the Maricopa Workforce Connection’s offices, the nearest one is located at the “Gilbert Career Center” at 735 N. Gilbert Road, Ste. 134, Gilbert AZ 85234, and their phone number is (480) 497-0350.
The stimulus will only last a year, so if you want to reap the benefits you need to hurry. It will pay towards your tuition, books, and in special cases, certain other financial needs.
The program is also not biased by age, so the 20 year- olds and the 50-year-olds can make good use of the program, giving some of the older generations a shot at college they may never have considered before.
This program is still fairly new, but the students seem to be very happy with it.
For more information about getting into the program yourself, call or visit any of the “One-Stop Centers.
