The New England Job Show

By Michele Moon, NEJS Public Relations Manager

Governor John Lynch

Salem NH – January 25, 2010 – Governor John Lynch and Commissioner Tara Reardon announced at a NHES sponsored networking meeting NHnetWORKS, New Hampshire’s Three-Part Initiative to help its workers. This initiative focuses on keeping individuals working, employing the unemployed and training.

Part I – Stay at Work focuses on keeping individuals employed.  As businesses experience a temporary slow down, they may find it necessary to adjust their personnel accordingly.  Under this plan, instead of individuals being laid off, their hours would be cut, but their benefits would remain in place and lost wages could be augmented by unemployment benefits.

Part II – Return to Work focuses on assisting the unemployed in their effort to find employment.  Under this portion of the initiative, companies would be encourage to bring in a prospective new hire and train them for up to 6 weeks (24 hours per week maximum) at no cost to the company.  This benefits the candidate by giving them the opportunity to pursue a new career path or industry.  During this training period, the individual participating in the training would continue to collect unemployment benefits until they are hired.

Part III – Skills Assessment and Training will evaluate a worker skill set.  Based on the results, individuals will have the opportunity to upgrade their skills and they be certified as “Work Ready”.

This program will be rolled out in 3 stages.  Part II is expected to be launched in late Spring, followed by Part I in July (after legislative approval) and finally Part III.  Part III will be expanded further in 2011 when job training funds double over 2010 levels.

About NHnetWORKS

NHnetWORKS is a networking group of professionals either in transition or working, living, or interested in doing business in New Hampshire.  Its purpose is to help people advance professionally and to assist them with successful business and organizational activities.  Run by Nicole Tessier, Founder and Director, the Group meets from 9 a.m. to noon  every Monday at SNHU’s 25 Pelham Road, Salem NH campus.