Funds Help Workers Retrain, But For What?

02/17/2009

Washington Senator Patty Murray says the federal stimulus package will include $64 million dollars for retraining Washington workers. But with the public and private sectors both hurting, what should unemployed workers retrain for?

Adam is a Seattle resident in his thirties. Last month he was laid off as operations manager for a local dot–com. His wife still works full–time, so he was able to transfer to her health plan. They've pared down their expenses while he conducts a vigorous job search. In his home office, he scrutinizes job listings and potential contacts on the site LinkedIn.

Adam: "If you go by what's on the web, there's work out there. And companies, everyone still needs good people to do a job. There's just a ton of good people out there now."

Adam recently checked out a King County job fair.

Adam: "That's how I got my job with my previous employer after my wife and I moved back here and I was looking for work just getting out of the service. So I'm actually a big believer in those."

His conclusion? He should have been a nurse.

Adam: "If you're a nurse you're hired. Don't worry."

Adam still hopes to get a job in his general field, but he sees the demand for specialized, niche workers. Diane Henry has come to a similar conclusion. She just enrolled in nursing school at North Seattle Community College. She calls it a recession–proof job.

Henry: "Well, my husband was laid off from Microsoft in January and that immediately catapulted my thinking and sped up the process."

Henry says she'd been pondering going back to work after staying home with their two children, ages 10 and 12. But her husband's layoff prompted what she calls "a moment of clarity." Henry looks around her family's cozy, book–lined home. She says she has worries about the future but also feels up to the challenge.

Henry: "It's exciting to think about this new direction and it will be great to contribute to the family budget eventually."

And she's eligible for financial assistance — it's not only laid–off workers but also their spouses who can get retraining funds. Enrollment in worker retraining programs at the state's community and technical colleges is up 25% over last year. Students are flocking to programs like nursing, welding and information technology.

Peggy O'Mear is an employment specialist at the state's WorkSource office in Redmond.

The atmosphere is hushed there but the computers are full. O'Mear says it's true that healthcare workers are in demand, but those jobs aren't for everyone.

O'Mear: "Not everybody likes the sight of blood. So you may look at a way you can fit into that arena but you also need to know who you are, what you're capable of, what your interests are, and will this ultimately help you maintain a roof over your head and food to eat."

Retraining funds can only be used toward programs with a high demand for workers.

O'Mear also has her clients do research and conduct informational interviews to make sure the retraining will help them get a job.

One of O'Mear's clients is Laura Peterson. She's a mother of three in Sammamish. Before her kids came along, Peterson spent eight years in media relations at Microsoft.

Now she's getting a degree in technical writing at Bellevue Community College.

She's going back to work because her husband lost his job of thirteen years with a local home builder.

Peterson: "So it's five months now into his being unemployed. And so we don't know what the future holds. And for me I'm trying to retool as fast as I can and as smart as I can so I can be employable and marketable."

Retraining funds pay for her tuition in one class, and half the expenses for the others.

Peterson says her kids are sympathetic when they catch her doing her homework, usually early in the morning.

Peterson: "Our kids are really aware, which is good, and we've been very open with them. But it's also — it's challenging as a family right now."

At the WorkSource office in Redmond, they're seeing twice the usual traffic. They're also seeing a wider variety of workers — previously the crowd was about 70% white–collar professionals. People can use a phone kiosk there to register for unemployment. But getting through takes a long time, and callers are clearly getting frustrated.

To defuse frustration, multiple signs warn callers of long wait times.

In the meantime, the signs advise callers to "breathe."

Amy Radil, KUOW News.

© Copyright 2009, KUOW