Q: I lost my job and am looking for a new job. How can I find businesses in my area that are hiring? How can ARRA help me?
A: Visit Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE)
to look for jobs online, or to find your local one-stop center. The one-stop centers provide an array of services to jobseekers, including job search assistance, various career readiness workshops, access to job listings and training resources. Professional career counselors are available to work with you to develop an employment plan customized to your interests, skills, and abilities. Q: I lost my job of 20 years, and I feel I need new skills to re-enter
the workforce. What training opportunities are available, and how can I
access them?
A: One-stop career centers provide various training services to customers entering the job market for the first time, re-entering the job market after a long period of time and customers seeking a career change. Examples of training may include skills training in a community college or university setting, direct on-the-job training with an employer, or individualized training through vouchers. Career counselors at the one stops will work with you to determine if you are eligible for training assistance, and will help you identify approved training programs based on your interests and background. The first step to accessing training assistance is to visit a one-stop center in your community by visiting
the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE). Q: I am collecting unemployment insurance benefits. How will ARRA affect me?
A: For recipients of unemployment insurance, ARRA approved an additional
$25 per week for all claimants beginning the week of February 22, 2009.
ARRA also changed the expiration date of the federal extension of benefits from March 31, 2009 to December 31, 2009. Currently, claimants
are entitled to receive benefits for the normal 26 weeks under Maryland law, plus an additional 33 weeks under the federal extended benefit
program. The extension was set to expire this summer, but under ARRA it will continue through the end of the calendar year. ARRA also exempts up
to $2,400 in unemployment insurance benefits from federal income tax beginning with the 2009 tax year. Q: I lost my job, and no longer have health insurance coverage. What can
I do?
A: You might be eligible for COBRA continuation health
coverage. Depending on income levels and family size, you may be eligible for Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and Maryland's other Medical Care Programs. To find out if you are eligible for Medical Assistance or other public assistance, please apply at your local
department of social services (DSS). If you are applying for assistance for a child or are pregnant, you may apply for the Maryland Children's Health Program
(MCHP) at your local health department (LHD). For more information, you may call the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Recipient Relations Hotline at 1(800) 492-5231 or (410) 767-5800. More information about health care assistance may be found at
the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene website. Q: I heard ARRA will provide summer jobs for kids and young adults. How can I learn more about this program, and how can my son or daughter access opportunities?
A: ARRA provides additional resources so that low-income youth, ages 14-24, can participate in the summer youth program. Visit
the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE)
to find the one-stop career center closest to you, and then call for more information about eligibility requirements and enrollment in the youth summer jobs program. Q: I am a recent honorably discharged veteran. How does ARRA help me?
A: Under ARRA, veterans and eligible spouses are members of the Recovery Act priority group, and are to receive the highest priority of service. To access employment and training services, veterans should visit their local one-stop career center where a Veteran Workforce Specialist can provide you with career counseling, job search assistance, and information on what training services are available to you and/or your spouse. Veteran Workforce Specialists are former military so they understand the special needs of transitioning military personnel. Visit
the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE)
to locate a one-stop career center. Q: I heard ARRA money can be used to help laid-off workers? How do I know if I qualify?
A: ARRA provides funds to serve laid-off or "dislocated" workers. To qualify as a general dislocated worker, you must meet the following three criteria:
- Has been terminated or laid off, or has received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment;
- EITHER is eligible for, or has exhausted unemployment compensation (benefits);
OR has been employed long enough to demonstrate attachment to the workforce, but is not eligible for unemployment compensation due to insufficient earnings or having performed services for an employer that were not covered under a state unemployment compensation law; and
- Is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation.
To find out more information about resources and services for laid-off/dislocated workers, please visit your local one-stop career center. Q: I was self-employed as small business owner. Now that I've had to close my business, am I eligible for assistance under
ARRA?
A: Self-employed individuals may be treated the same as individuals who have been laid-off/dislocated workers. To qualify for ARRA services, an individual must have been self-employed (this includes employment as a farmer, a rancher, or a fisherman), but is unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in the community in which the individual resides, or because of natural disasters. Q: I am an employer and I need to retrain my existing employees to give them updated skills. Are there resources available for me through
ARRA, and how can I apply for those resources?
A: The Maryland Business Works/Skills for Maryland's Workforce Program can help to upgrade your existing staff's skills, retain and promote your employees, and increase your overall productivity. Our dollar-for-dollar match program can help defray the costs of retooling your staff's skills, especially if you're a small business owner, or in a high-demand industry (e.g., health care, advanced manufacturing, energy). For more information, check the
MBW/SMW web page. Q: I run a non-profit job training program. Are there resources available for me through
ARRA?
A: Non-profit organizations wishing to provide occupational skills training should contact their local workforce investment board for more information about becoming a state-approved training provider. You can locate information on your local workforce investment board by visiting
Workforce Investment Network for
Maryland. However, you may want to review the requirements and instructions for becoming a state-approved training provided found on the
Maryland Higher Education Commission's website. Non-profit organizations may also qualify for assistance to train their employees through the Maryland Business Works/Skills for Maryland's Workforce
Program (see overview above). Q: What does ARRA have to offer small employers?
A: Some ARRA resources will be used to enhance business services provided through Maryland's one-stop career center system. In addition to financial assistance to train employees, the one-stop system can alleviate the stress and reduce costs associated with hiring. Working with a local business resource representative, the one-stops can help locate qualified applicants through job posting services, recruitment events, job fairs, and direct contact with jobseekers. Q: How can ARRA help businesses hire youth this summer?
A: Using ARRA funding, many local workforce investment areas may partner with local businesses to place youth in summer work experiences. In some areas, the local workforce investment boards may subsidize the youths' wages and provide job coaching. Local workforce investment areas may also hold youth job fairs and other targeted recruitment events where businesses can participate. Contact your local
one-stop career center for information.
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