Local jobs program receives $3.5 million

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Penny Traina

By D.a. Wilkinson

COLUMBIANA — Despite Monday’s rain, Columbiana County Commissioner Penny Traina said, “The sun is shining.”

She was referring to the $3.5 million the Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The program will help a total of 300 adults in the regular work force and 500 youths in summer jobs.

Bert Cene, the director of the MCTA, said he didn’t think there would be funding for youth programs this year.

Jessica Borza, the chief operating officer for the allied One Stop job programs in Columbiana and Mahoning County, said the program is starting now.

The branches are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Mahoning County office is staying open until 9 p.m. Wednesdays, and Columbiana’s office is open until 9 p.m. Thursdays.

The counties are looking at adding Saturday hours to match people to jobs and training.

The federal stimulus money will be divided as follows: The youth program will get $1.4 million, dislocated workers will get $1 million, and the adult program will get $690,000. The rest will go for administration.

Dislocated-worker funds will go to help people who lost jobs through layoffs or closings, according to Borza.

The adult program will help those who are underemployed or have a low income.

Workers can upgrade their educational degrees.

People may be able to get an associate degree, and those who have an associate degree can get a bachelor’s degree.

MCTA information on the funding said that for years it had “a skills mismatch” because businesses couldn’t find enough workers with the skills they needed.

Borza said that may have happened because of “a low level of educational attainment.”

She said the job programs were trying to work on that problem.

wilkinson@vindy.com