Kentucky receives nearly $3 million to assist displaced Comair workers

U.S. Department of Labor awards $2,774,736

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 20, 2013) – Kentucky will receive a nearly $3 million National Emergency Grant (NEG) to assist workers affected by the closure of Comair, located in Erlanger.

“This grant provides Kentucky the opportunity to support and assist affected Comair employees so they can get the resources they need for education and training, career preparation and job search to achieve their ultimate goal of employment,” said Gov. Steve Beshear.

The majority of funds, administered through the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, will be used for training and education, which can include college, certifications and other credentials. The training and education will be targeted to six areas that are showing growth in the northern Kentucky region including advanced manufacturing, health, information technology, logistics/distribution, energy and services.

In addition, staff at the local Northern Kentucky One Stop Career Centers will advise displaced workers on careers, provide assessments of skills, prepare them for the job search with resume writing and interviewing techniques, and help them with job placement.

“This grant allows us to take the Comair employees who were laid off from point A to point Z and ultimately help them nail down a job,” said Barbara Stewart, director of the Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board.

About 350 former Comair employees who were laid off in September 2012 will be assisted with the funds, Stewart said.

While the Comair layoffs impacted workers who were employed in Kentucky, many of the workers reside in Indiana and Ohio, due to the proximity of the airport to the border of the commonwealth. In an effort to meet the needs of all of the workers displaced by Comair, Kentucky has developed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Indiana and Ohio, which indicates that the NKADD will serve any workers displaced by the closure of Comair, regardless of their state of residence.

The MOA describes the parameters of the multi-state partnership; core and intensive services will be provided by the area where the affected worker comes to access services, but training will be paid for by NKADD for all Comair clients, assuming the training meets NKADD’s criteria for approval.

Of the $2,774,736 announced today, $1,356,574 will be released initially. Additional funding, up to the amount approved, will be made available as the commonwealth demonstrates a continued need for assistance.

The NEG covers Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties in Kentucky; Decatur, Franklin, Henry, Marion, Perry, Ripley, Rush and Switzerland counties in Indiana; and Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio.

National Emergency Grants (NEG) are part of the U.S. secretary of labor’s discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state’s ability to meet specific guidelines. NEG funding is administered by the Kentucky Department of Workforce Investment’s Office of Employment and Training in the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

For more information, visit http://www.nkyonestop.org or call 859-371-0808 in Florence or 859-292-6666 in Covington.