By Shelley Kofler, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-966361.mp3
Dallas, TX – Over the past year the unemployment rate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has dropped from 9.4 percent to 8.1 percent, and fewer private sector businesses are cutting jobs. But looming cuts in federal and state budgets have unemployment centers bracing for layoffs among public employees, including tens of thousands at Texas schools.
For today's Economy Segment KERA's Shelley Kofler talked to Debby Kratky with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County. Kratky says school districts are already asking for her office to assist hundreds of employees who will soon lose their jobs.
Kratky: We're anticipating over 700 employees losing their jobs across Tarrant County. Not just teachers but also teachers' aides; custodians; nurses. Across the board we're looking at over 700 layoffs.
Kofler: How will you help them make the connection they may need to make for other jobs?
Kratky: One of the things we're doing right away is working with the Region 11 (Education Service Center) to have webinars for individuals being laid off. That will teach them how to apply for unemployment and encourage them to get signed up before school ends. Let's say as a teacher you have your salary across 12 months rather than the school year. Even though you are getting that money during the summer months you are eligible for unemployment because that money was earned previous to the layoff. So they don't' have to wait until September to apply. They can apply in May. We are also going to be doing a big job fair for those individuals in June. We'll be inviting people who have been laid off across the county to attend that.
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Kofler: What kind of transferable skills do teachers have or other school employees have that you can work with in terms of helping place them somewhere else?
Kratky: Well number one for the teachers and administrators- they have a degree. That degree counts. Employers many times love to see people who have earned a college degree. It shows they can start and finish something big. So I think what we want to do is work one-on-one with those individuals and look at the specific skill sets they have that are transferable.
Kofler: Which teachers are most easily placed?
Kratky: I think those individuals that come from a background of math and science obviously are sought after. They may be able to find other teaching jobs. There will be other school districts at the hiring fair, for example, who are looking to hire. So if they love teaching we want to help them find jobs teaching.
Kofler: And if they need to shift to another industry, where can they go, and which teachers are going to have the most difficult time?
Kratky: I would imagine those individuals who have taught for a long period of time in a very specific field like literature, geography, an elementary school teacher. We might have to sit down and really look at what your skill sets are and more importantly look at it as an opportunity to grow in the areas you want.
I would say to anybody being laid off, "What is your passion?" Let's work from that point. If you're going to be laid off you might as well make the most of it.
We have three Workforce boards in this area, not just in Tarrant County but also in Dallas County and in North Central Texas. We still have training dollars available. We train in everything from the health care industry to advanced manufacturing.
Kofler: What should they anticipate in terms of how long they'll have to stick it out until they get another full-time job or significant employment?
Kratky: I think it's going to depend on what their goals are and what kind of money they have to earn. I would say they need to plan on looking for work for about three months. That's why we talk about doing it now. If you know are going to be laid off or you are even worried about being laid off let's start talking now.
Debby Kratky is the director of Capacity Building and Training at Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.
Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas serves 17 school disticts in Dallas County. President Laurie Bouillion Larrea says her offices are preparing to help at least 1500 school employees who will lose their jobs..
Workforce Solutions Tarrant County