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May 7, 2009
States generally require people who collect unemployment to be actively looking for work and that makes it difficult to go back to school for job training. Friday, President Obama announced that unemployed workers receiving benefits should qualify for education and training.
Friday, we learned the job market lost another 539,000 jobs in April and President Obama is asking states and colleges to help those unemployed get job training without having to give up their unemployment checks.
Officials with the Arkansas Department of Workforce say they're already doing that.
Obama says, "The unemployment rate is at its highest point in 25-years. It underscores the point that we're still in the midst of a recession that was years in the making."
After revealing the jobless rate rose 8.9 percent in April, President Obama announced a plan to allow folks to go to college without losing their unemployment check and get financial aid.
Kimberly Friedman with Department of Workforce Services says, "Arkansas does have some programs to help those get into an approved training program to do so and still be able to draw their unemployment insurance benefits."
Friedman says there are several options:
-You have to prove your skills are obsolete and can't translate into another job.
-The training has to be for an occupation that has a demand for employees.
-You must go to school full time
-If you're former company is trade affected meaning moves out of the country you can be eligible for TTA or Trade Adjustment Assistance.
Friedman adds, "They can even receive tuition assistance, assistance with fees, supplies such as if they need uniforms things like that also travel expenses as well."
She says the Department of Workforce is feeling the increase in unemployment here in Arkansas and giving folks a chance to learn trades while getting unemployment benefits lets them get ahead when the economy bounces back.
"Unemployment insurance is just designed to be a temporary fix or solution to help those people in the temporary or inter medium when they're trying to get back into the workforce. It's never meant to be a permanent solution. We want them to get careers," Friedman, adds.
President Obama ends by saying, "Although we have a long way to go before we can put this recession behind us, the gears of our economic engine are slowly beginning to be turning once again."
Friedman says the details of President Obama's new measure haven't been made public, but they are willing to make adjustments to the current program.
To learn more about the specific labor markets to get training for in Arkansas while getting unemployment click on the link under the picture.
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