Dayton Job Training Program Wins Praise from Governor, Dislocated Workers

Dislocated workers are signing up for high tech and green job training at the IUE-CWA Service Center. From left, CWA Pres. Cohen, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, Lee Gillis, Jr., who starts a new job next week, and IUE-CWA Pres. Jim Clark.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland applauded CWA and IUE-CWA for providing state-of-the-art high tech and green job training to dislocated workers. The governor spoke to students and CWAers at the IUE-CWA Service Center in Dayton.

Through a $4 million job training grant from the Department of Labor and CWA/NETT, more than 60 Ohio workers have received skill training, with 1,500 expected to graduate by the end of 2011. A green production skill training module also is being developed as part of the grant.

Classes are free and open to all dislocated workers.

IUE-CWA President Jim Clark said area employers "are already starting to take note of the program's graduates." He introduced one of them, 43-year-old Lee Gillis, who starts a new job Monday after two years out of work.

Gillis described being in a room recently with eight other people seeking the same manufacturing job. Proudly holding up his certification, Gillis said that when he showed it to the interviewer, "everything changed. They hired me."

CWA President Larry Cohen said having a "Labor Department in Washington that actually listens" made all the difference in pursuing the grant. "It was an honor to fight for this program and for this funding," he said. "Anyone can lay off workers, the question is, how do you get companies to hire workers."