Journal-News.com

Though General Motors Corp. is not expected to close its Moraine plant until 2010, helping the 2,500 affected workers learn new skills and land new jobs needs to be an immediate priority, officials said Tuesday, June 3.

"The most important focus for the community has to be with the assistance for these workers at the plant who are not in situations of early retirement and who do need help in retooling for new skills," said Richard Stock, director of the University of Dayton's Business Research Group.

Economist Robert Premus of Wright State University said there are high-technology and other jobs available in the region, but displaced workers will need to learn new skills to fill them.

"Our skill mix is probably not up to par for all the new opportunities," Premus said. "There are a lot of jobs out there that are unfilled. But people aren't trained for them. There's not an easy short-term solution to that."

Ann Stevens, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Department of Jobs and Family Services, said workers who face unemployment should examine what their abilities are and look for other fields where those skills might transfer.

"What people are doing is basically reinventing themselves," she said.

The county offers two resources for job-seekers, the Job Bank and the Career Transition Center. The job bank provides job leads and other resources for individuals looking for work.

The center is aimed at people left jobless by large layoffs or plant closings. The center provides hardware such as computers, fax machines and copiers for people who need work. Additionally, it offers staff who can help evaluate skills and identify new career options, Stevens said.

Resources for displaced workers

The Montgomery County Job Center

Address: 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Dayton, OH 45422

Phone: (937) 225-5627

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday,

and Friday; 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday

The Career

Transition Center

Address: 4257 Dryden Road, Moraine, OH 45439

Phone: (937) 496-7397

Hours: 8 a.m. to

5 p.m. Monday through Friday

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