Now that production of General Motors vehicles has stopped at the Janesville GM plant, state officials are hoping workers will take them up on offers to help find new jobs.
Nearly 1,200 GM employees, along with about 800 workers from several support businesses, are now faced with trying to find new jobs. Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman says help is still available through state programs to help them. Those programs included job counseling and retraining courses for different fields of work.
Unemployment in Janesville was a 7.4 percent in November, the highest rate in the state. That's expected to climb now.
Gassman says about 450 people have taken advantage of job services offered by the state so far. She hopes more will come forward for assistance, now that the plant is closing.
Still, Gassman admits, it may take a little longer than usual to find new jobs for everyone, due to the poor state of the economy. However, she says their chances can improve greatly if they take part in state job training programs.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:08)
