Labor Dept. Assists Laid Off HP Workers
A $986,796 grant from the Department of Labor will assist approximately 249 workers affected by layoffs at Hewlett-Packard in Corvallis, Ore., the agency said Friday. HP announced on Aug. 20, 2008, that layoffs were pending at the facility and the first dislocation event followed less than a month later. Another round of layoffs is scheduled for May 30. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said the downsizing represents "a significant loss of production workers in this region of Oregon" and the federal infusion will let affected employees access the necessary training and services to find work soon.
The grant money will be awarded to the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development. All of the targeted workers also have been certified as eligible for trade adjustment assistance. Under the grant, workers will have access to services that are not available through the TAA program, including skills assessment, counseling, case management, job-search assistance, job-placement assistance and follow-up services, the agency said. The nonprofit Community Services Consortium will oversee the grant.
Corvallis Mayor Charles Tomlinson thinks the next chapter for HP's campus could be in biotechnology, according to the Albany Democrat Herald. Tomlinson had no comment about whether he'd been in contact with HP about future plans, but said it's no secret that 235,413 square feet of industrial space is available for lease.


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