Provider: Community Development Department

Categories: Education & Personal Development: Employment Preparation; Hiring and Employment Services

Description
City Service: Rapid Response Layoff Information Provider: Community Development Department (CDD) Service Description: Rapid response strategies are triggered when local elected officials receive a Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) from an employer advising them of impending layoffs in their jurisdiction. A team of rapid response specialists is then dispatched to make contact with the employer and worker representatives to assess the scope, size and duration of the layoff. Thereafter, a plan is developed for delivery of the following services to the impacted workers:  Unemployment Insurance Benefits  Career Counseling  Resume Preparation and Interviewing Skills Workshops  Job Search & Job Placement Assistance  Information on the local labor market  Information about education & training opportunities  Information on health benefits and pensions  Referrals to computers, telephones, and fax machines for job searches  Financial Planning & Stress Management Workshops  Information on special services for dislocated veterans and adults with disabilities Rapid Response strategies are conducted in partnership with economic development and business associations, and include the following:  Establishing early warning systems, and formal and informal channels of communication to foretell worker layoffs in advance of the issuance of WARNS  Identifying struggling businesses and connecting them to the resources they need to survive, thrive, and preserve jobs  Connecting businesses to the workforce development systems customized training offerings so as to combat layoffs of low-skilled workers  Collecting labor market information to identify industry trends that may be predictors of worker layoffs  Mapping the skill sets of workers in declining industries and identifying potential job opportunities for them in flourishing industries that require the same skill sets  Arranging financial restructurings, buyouts, and ownership transfers of distressed businesses as an alternative to closures and worker layoffs The Rapid Response team conducts on-site meetings to introduce the employer & workers to representatives that can help them make this transition a positive one.

Webpage: http://www.lacity.org/cdd/