One-Stops face funds reduction
Youngstown Vindicator – More people are back to work in the Mahoning Valley, but for those still looking for work, there will be less federal funding for job- training and placement programs.
The area unemployment rate fell for the third-straight month in April, according to statistics released Tuesday, but the Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana County One-Stops, which last year aided 15,000 Valley residents, stand to lose $4.9 million in federal aid from the expiring 2009 Workforce Investment Act.
The federally funded One-Stops offer job training and placement for citizens and help businesses find properly trained employees.
“It’s great to see the unemployment rate go down, but that doesn’t mean there are less job seekers,” said Bill Turner, administrator at the Trumbull One-Stop.
The One-Stops stand to lose up to $2 million of their combined $8.2 million budgets due to expected cuts of 10 percent to 20 percent when the federal budget becomes official July 1.
