Kirkwood, Iowa Workforce Development Team for Emergency Public Jobs Project
The recent record-breaking floods have created a kind of silver lining in the post-emergency environment. A new program will assist local job-seekers in finding employment opportunities as eastern Iowa’s non-profit, cultural and community resources recover and rebuild.
The Emergency Public Jobs program is a grant-funded joint effort between Kirkwood Community College and Iowa Workforce Development. The college’s Skills-to-Employment office and IWD locations are contact points for area public and non-profit groups to request workers for recovery projects.
Kirkwood Executive Director of Continuing Education Programming Kim Johnson called the new program a “welcome and timely fit” for the needs of eastern Iowa.
“We appreciate the support dollars for this much-needed project and hope it will in turn be a great help for recovery in our area. There is great potential for building job skills while providing employment to many people. Add to that the recovery assistance this will provide for our non-profit, human service and cultural groups and it adds up to a win/win for everyone,” Johnson said.
The program should especially aid individuals who have suffered workplace displacement or job loss due to the area floods. Early work sites for the Emergency Public Jobs crews include the city offices in the Corridor, with many more sites to come as the applicant and approval process continues.
Emergency Public Jobs are created to assist in the clean-up and restoration efforts as a result of the disaster with public and non-profit work sites. As public and non-for-profit entities begin to recover from the flood, they can request workers through the Emergency Public Jobs program administered by Kirkwood Community College Skills-to-Employment and Iowa Workforce Development.
The U.S. Department of Labor grant support is provided through Iowa Workforce Development and will fuel the local program through June 2010.
Work site jobs may vary in duration, but cannot last longer than six months. Prevailing wages are paid for these positions. Jobs are available as work sites become available. General labor, construction, clerical, supervisory, and environmental jobs may be available.
To be eligible for this program, potential workers must:
• Have been temporarily or permanently dislocated as a result of the flood disaster, or
• Be a dislocated worker, laid off from your job, eligible for or have exhausted unemployment compensation, or
• Have been unemployed for 15 or more of the most recent 26 weeks
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For persons interested in pursuing these employment opportunities, they can call or go to a local Iowa Workforce Development office and make application or sign up for an information session or receive a personal interview to learn more about the Emergency Public Jobs Program.
Iowa Workforce Development
800 7th Street SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
OR–
1700 S 1st Ave # 11B
Iowa City, IA 52240
319-365-9474, Ext. 1224 319-351-1035, Ext. 111
For public and non-profit organizations that would like worker assistance in restoration and recovery efforts, please contact:
Skills-to-Employment
Kirkwood Resource Center
1030 5th Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-398-5070, Ext. 202