Dr. Howard Ledford, coordinator of instruction at the Commerce campus of Lanier Technical College, has advice for those who lose their jobs.
Speaking to the Commerce Area Business Association last Wednesday, Ledford said those laid off during the ongoing recession should make the Department of Labor their first stop.
There they can sign up for unemployment benefits, but the jobless should not stop there.
“Contact the Regional Development Center’s Office of Workforce Development,” Ledford urged.
That group runs the Workforce Investment Board which, though currently out of money, is putting names on a list for funding for retraining of the jobless.
“Don’t wait to get on the list,” Ledford urged. “When money is available, then you’ll be on the top of the list for retraining.”
Ledford also urged the newly jobless not to sit at home and wait for the telephone to ring.
“Do something. Get a certificate (at Lanier Tech), be productive. Volunteer. The schools all need volunteer mentors,” he said, adding that such activities will only enhance the applicant’s résumé.
He also recommended that the jobless come to Lanier Tech to take the WorkReady assessments. The tests can increase the odds of getting an interview once a company decides to hire.
And while there are a few jobs available, the news in the job market is grim. In December, Ledford said, 128,625 people applied for benefits through the Georgia Department of Labor - an increase of 174 percent from the previous December and 72 percent more than applied in November.
“In Jackson County, 696 people applied for benefits in December, an increase of 300 percent over December 2007,” he added. That was also an increase of 107 percent over November applicants.
And, he said, it’s going to get worse.
“January (numbers) is going to hit us even harder,” Ledford predicted. “I’ve seen families, spouses come in and break down and cry. They just don’t know what to do.”
Ledford calls technical colleges “the best-kept secret in Georgia” because it is not widely understood that adult education is virtually free. The HOPE Grant pays tuition and provides a book allowance with no grade point requirement. The student is left paying only a $15 application fee and a $35 technology fee as he or she gets trained - or retrained - for the job market.
