The Workforce Development Resource Center is providing a significant opportunity. Now it is up to individuals to take advantage of it.

The WDRC will soon hire 50 people –- with that number expected to grow to 100 – to do cleanup work related to the weather damage in 2010.

These funds come from the federal disaster relief program and have multiple benefits here in our community.

First, these funds will be used to clean up streams and other debris that remains in many of the rural parts of Lawrence County.

Secondly, this funding provides some much-needed employment opportunities.

This is the second phase of the project. Initially the WDRC hired more than 100 people, all of whom are still working.

These wages are all well above minimum wage and could be an excellent stopgap measure for individuals who are unemployed because of the economy and other challenges. But having the funding in place and having available jobs means nothing if Lawrence Countians do not take advantage of this opportunity.