Georgia Northwestern Technical College has been awarded a $165,000 grant through the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission that will allow an expansion of adult education for eligible workers who have been displaced from their jobs.

This grant will aid GNTC’s service area which includes Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Polk, and Walker counties.

Program services will include 20 hours a week of instruction for refreshing basic academic skills, preparing for the GED test, learning English language skills and upgrading Georgia Work Ready Certificate skill levels to meet requirements for new employment.

Screening for participants began Jan. 11. Eligible participants will receive their books at no cost, and a GED Testing scholarship when they post passing scores on the official GED practice test between Jan. 11 and June 30.

Classes will be taught in Calhoun, LaFayette, Ringgold, Rockmart, Rock Spring, Rome, Rossville, Summerville and Trenton, in facilities associated with GNTC.

“We are excited about this opportunity to partner again with GNTC,” said Gwen Dellinger, workforce development program director for Northwest Georgia Regional Commission. “It is an important first step for dislocated workers to begin their retaining efforts and to then be able to enter occupational skills training and /or be successful in obtaining employment.”

Susan Hackney, vice president of adult education, commented, “This opportunity for displaced workers is very welcome. It allows them to benefit by upgrading their education skill levels. We know that people are struggling to position themselves in any way possible to deal with the loss of jobs in Northwest Georgia, and this project will help us assist them through the adult education program. We will be seeking qualified adjunct instructors and assistants to add to the adult education faculty for this project."

Dislocated Workers who register for this program must meet the following criteria:

1. Terminated or laid off, or received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment;

2. eligible for, or has exhausted, entitlement to unemployment compensation; or

3. employed for a duration sufficient to demonstrate insufficient earnings or have performed services for an employer that were not covered under a state unemployment compensation law; and

4. was self-employed (including 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 disaster; or

5. displaced homemaker — an individual who has been providing unpaid services to a family member in the home and who has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income and is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment; and

6. males must meet Selective Service requirements.

Dislocated Workers who are interested in returning to school under this special project should contact the Adult Learning Center in their community; Susan Hackney at the Floyd County Campus of GNTC at 706-295-6972; or Jim Fowler at the Walker County Campus of GNTC at 706-764-3564.