Pocono News Section

Stimulus Money Expected to Help Train Workers

Stimulus Money Expected to Help Train Workers - Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at 4:40PM EST

TANNERSVILLE - Part of the President's stimulus plan is to provide job training for unemployed workers.
For the past two months Michaeline Carter's full time job has been trying to find a job. "I want to find something that's permanent and not just one job and then you're on another," she said.

But since she got laid off from a factory position, it's been tough to learn the new skills she needs for something better. Carter said, "When you go back out into the field and you don't have experience in different jobs, they don't have anything for you."

The President's stimulus package could help people like Carter. The plan provides about 4 billion dollars for worker training. "It's a big pot of money being released to train workers," said Deborah Harrison of Monroe County CareerLink.

She said every state will get some of the money and her office will be glad to have the help. It's been packed for months and Harrison said the need for CareerLink services has doubled in the past year.

The busy staff is not yet sure how much money it might get from the stimulus but the office will use whatever it receives to help train people for high demand jobs. "You gotta look at your health care, your logistics and transportation, education," said Harrison.

Carter said she would love to learn new skills so she can walk out of CareerLink and into her own career.

CareerLink hopes to have a better idea of exactly how much federal stimulus money it will receive within the next month.