Sen. Chuck Grassley today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has released $2.6 million for more than 400 workers displaced by the closure of Farmland Foods, Inc. of Dubuque.
East Central Inter-Governmental Association will run the program provided through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The WIA funds provide a comprehensive set of employment adjustment, retraining and support services.
The project will receive $1.5 million for immediate use and will serve Dubuque, Jackson, Scott, Marshall, Clayton, Delaware and Blackhawk counties. The funding also covers Jo Daviess and Rock Island counties in Illinois and Grant County in Wisconsin.
Affected employees of companies that provided services for Farmland are also covered under the funding. Employees of National Services Co., a provider of sanitation services, ARA Services, Inc., a provider of Farmland cafeteria staff, and Aramark Uniform Services, a provider of laundry services, will be eligible for assistance.
"With today's tight labor market, companies are looking to employ skilled workers such as those displaced by the Farmland closure," said Grassley. "This funding is critical to get Iowa workers back on the job and provide them with the training they need to be marketable."
Employment transition services offered through the program include outreach, recruitment, assessment, counseling, labor-market information, job search assistance, remedial education, and vocational and entrepreneurial training. Child care and transportation also may be included through the program's supportive services.