Secretary of labor announces continued assistance for Ohio workers laid off from jobs at Wilmington Air Park

TOLEDO, Ohio – While in Ohio today, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced a $2,932,835 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to provide services to an additional 729 workers affected by layoffs at Wilmington Air Park in Wilmington, Ohio. Following an initial grant in November 2008 and one other previous award of supplemental funding with dislocated workers added as more layoffs occurred, a total of approximately 2,360 individuals now will be served.

"President Obama and I are committed to helping Ohio's families get back on their feet and to getting all Americans back to work," said Secretary Solis. "This supplemental funding expands greatly needed re-employment assistance for workers in the Buckeye State. It also ensures that those already benefitting from employment and training services can continue this preparation for new, family-supporting jobs."

The supplemental funding announced today is being awarded to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

In November of 2008, an initial award of $3,877,672 provided assistance to about 386 workers impacted by the first layoffs from DHL Express, ABX Air Inc. and ACS Business Process Solutions. The grant later was expanded, with supplemental funding of $4,442,207 in November 2009, to include re-employment services for workers laid off from ASTAR Air Cargo Inc. and DHL North America.

The newest group of workers to be served under this National Emergency Grant have been laid off from those five companies, as well as AVI Food Systems Inc.

National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor's discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state's ability to meet specific guidelines. For more information, visit http://www.doleta.gov/NEG.