White House sending $25 million to re-train auto workers
The top White House official in charge of helping cities recover from auto plant closures will be in the St. Louis region today, and he’s bringing $25 million with him.
At an event in Valley Park later this morning, Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Auto Communities and Workers, will announce $25 million in new grants to help laid-off auto industry workers get training and placement for new careers in health care and other high-growth sectors, the White House said.
“President Obama is making it a priority to get help to auto communities in an efficient and meaningful way,” Montgomery said in a statement. “America’s auto workers have sacrificed so much during this economic downturn, and it’s our responsibility to stand with them during these difficult times.”
The $25 million won’t all come to St. Louis - it is targeted to a number of regions hard hit by the car industry’s woes - but it’s a good step towards helping local workers recover, said Sen. Claire McCaskill.
“Nothing is more important to our economic recovery than programs to train those who have lost their life’s work in this downturn,” she said. “This program will help real people find a new way forward.”
Montgomery and McCaskill are among those scheduled to appear at a forum with auto workers and community members in Valley Park at 11 today. They’ll be discussing ways the federal government can help places hard-hit by plant closures, and hearing directly from workers about their experiences.
The money will come from the $787 billion stimulus package passed in February.
I sure wish some of that money went to support training for everyone who has been unemployed and desperately seeking training. Especially those who have been unemployed for months now. I tried to apply for a Pell grant, but since my husband still works, I don’t qualify for one. His hours have been cut, so he doesn’t make as much as he used to (which wasn’t all that - he works in retail). So, only the very, very poor - no one is employed - appear to qualify for this.
Nice…first the White House guts the auto industry, and now our tax dollars are going to pay to retrain the workers who would still have jobs if the government would just keep its hands (and regulations) off the industry.
poor auto workers. Is there no end to their welfare?
I came back from a recent business trip in Canada. I couldn’t help notice a business article in the Canadian Globe and Mail (Canadian version of USA Today). It stated that a third shift will be retained by Chrysler for making minivans in Ontario. It also pointed out that 85% of the minivans go to the US. This is what the region gets from Washington; a 100 day speech in Arnold, autoplants closed and finally some job training funds. On Chrysler side of things they get a bailout in billions, bond and debt cleaned off their plate, a fire sale to an Italian, and help for Michigan. In the meantime, they deal with reduced auto sales in the US by moving almost all of their Minivan and a big share of the pickup production to Canada and Mexico respectively.
KrisT,
The rules for pell grants just changed. If you are unemployed then you now qualify. There is no longer a financial need determiner included. Check with your local Missouri Career Center and they can give you some more info.
Let’s see, retraining for Casino work, retail sales, fast food workers? This is like what happened to the coal industry a few years back. They provided funds for re-training and some went to Community Colleges for HVAC tech’s, electricians, etc.. Unfortunately, if an employer has the option to hire a twenty something instead of a 40 or 50 something, guess which one gets the job.
Oh yeah, I definitely agree that it is so wrong that we provided low interest rate loans to the auto-industry, which we may not recover, so they can keep plants open in Mexico. Keep this is mind the next time some politician starts ranting about how wonderful globalization is for the good’ol US. Wall Street stinks!
You can use the money to attain a Master’s degree and get into teaching. Or for a trade, health care industry? $13000 for an approved program. SIUE is approved in case any of you out there are interested in continuing or starting your higher education. As far as Pell Grants, only good for Under grad and trades, I made 200K last year and am NOT eligible at least since last week? Been unemployed since the last day of November.
Great news, more bailout money for auto workers and their industry….Now after you become completely educated the question becomes: WHERE DO YOU FIND A JOB or better yet one that overpays like the auto industry did, while putting out inferior products…Oh I know…Mexico or Canada…..
what about all of us in the housing industry? who got laidoff. I have been laidoff for a year and half no help from the govt here. even though it was there fault for allowing lenders to give subpar loans to people who could not afford a house payment. way to go democrats.