Workforce board develops strategies for job market

Members of the West Tennessee Workforce Board receive recognition awards.

A West Tennessee board i s working to overcome the harsh effect of a down economy and recent natural disasters have had on the job market.

On Thursday, July 15th, 2010, an area board that oversees workforce issues in the 12-county region met to discuss strategies for jobs in the area. Members of the West Tennessee Workforce Investment Board for Area 11 took part in the annual training at the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce.

Over $4 million in federal stimulus funding is being used to help train around 1,400 people in high demand fields at local career centers in Area 11 that includes Madison, Haywood and Henderson counties among others.

The workforce board is also using a recent $1.2 million federal grant to get displaced workers back into jobs. The National Emergency Grant has been allocated to the counties the Area 11 board serves that have been declared federal Disaster Emergency Areas.

With the economy struggling and recent flooding and tornadoes, the board's job has become trickier, said Lafayette McKinnie, director of the district 11 Workforce Investment Area.

"It's more difficult because we're one of the agencies required to make performance standards on the number of people who go to work after training," McKinnie said. "One good thing about the (grant) is we locate people who are eligible to participate."

The board has already identified most of the displaced workers in the region eligible for the program and has already or is in the process of getting them back to work.

Last summer around 1,400 West Tennessee youth found summer jobs through a joint effort of the board, Southwest Human Resources Agency and state.

Of those around 30 were able to receive fulltime employment under the job stimulus program.

"As a board we work together to look at the big picture of not only the current needs but the future needs as well," said Blake Carroll, marketing representative for the West Tennessee Investment Board.

SWHRA to operate Summer Food Service Program for fifth consecutive year

Children receiving lunches as a result of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

For the fifth consecutive year, Southwest Human Resource Agency (SWHRA) has been given the opportunity to team with the well established Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Again, the agency has applied for and received the program sponsorship for several counties in West Tennessee which will allow the program to be carried out in rural districts.

The SFSP was established to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. Free meals, that meet federal nutrition guidelines, are provided to all children at approximately 175 approved SFSP sites. The much needed program operates during school vacations, primarily from May to July.

“The Southwest HRA SFSP staff is working diligently to ensure all children receive a healthy, nutritious meal during the summer,” stated SWHRA Community Outreach Director Patti Pickler. “If your civic organization, church or community may be interested in forming a meal site, please contact us for further information.”

The SFSP is a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service and state sponsored through the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

For more information about the SFSP, please contact 1-800-497-1286 or visit www.swhra.org.