Last Thursday the U.S. Labor Department invited all states to apply for the "Bridge to Work" initiative, which would help people train to become more competitive in a new job force. 10 states will be accepted in hopes to decrease their unemployment rate.
The U.S. government has acknowledged people that are laid off or released from their jobs have often been out of the job force for so long that they no longer have up-to-date, current skills. It leaves them unemployable. This program was created to ensure that those starting over are equally as competitive and have a fair shot at getting a new career opportunity. The goal is to get Americans back to work faster so they don't have to collect unemployment.
Bridge to Work would allow people to maintain their skills or develop new ones, and it will also give potential employers the chance to see if a particular candidate is worth hiring. Statistics have shown that worker transition programs are generally successful and workers are offered full-time employment one third of the time.
This program also may give the opportunity for states to use federal funds to pay for necessary expenses like transportation. Bridge to Work was part of the payroll tax cut passed by Congress last February.
This is awesome! Some states already have programs like this but many do not. If you're interested in learning more about this program or others like it go to the DOL's website: http://www.dol.gov/
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