With a February closure deadline fast-approaching at Intermet-Ironton Iron, local employment services center officials are working to prepare about 600 displaced workers for the job-seekers’ market.

Thursday, January 27, 2000

With a February closure deadline fast-approaching at Intermet-Ironton Iron, local employment services center officials are working to prepare about 600 displaced workers for the job-seekers’ market.

Dec. 7, Intermet officials announced the city’s last remaining iron foundry would close its doors, taking about 600 jobs away from an area already suffering from severe unemployment.

According to the federal WARN Act, 60-days notice prior to closure is required. Feb. 7 will mark the end of the notification period and Ohio Bureau of Employment Services employees said they hope to be ready before then.

"We haven’t been given any specific dates about the closure. I think that is going to be determined by when they fill their last orders," said Nancy Craigmiles, manager of the OBES One-Stop Employment Training Center in Ironton. "But, we have met three times with representatives of the company and also with union representatives and the company is working with us to establish that time."

Those meetings have outlined plans for bringing the employment services center to the foundry, she said.

"We provide what we call a layoff packet when we have a large number of people separating from one place, and that helps us process things much more expediently," she said. "We will actually be going to Ironton-Iron and working with the employees in groups which eliminates having 600 people come here and have to stand in line. We go to them and work with them together."

Several services will be made available to the displaced work force –  some with the aid of federal funding, Ms. Craigmiles said.

"The Rapid Response Unit has provided a $50,000 grant to use specifically for Ironton Iron employees," she said. "That is to set up a transition center so that there will be a site developed specifically for Ironton Iron workers. It’s in the process of being completed right now, but there has to be bids placed for equipment and arrangements made for phone lines, things like that."

While crews work to establish the new center in time for the coming layoffs, other units will continue providing services to the employees, she said.

"Right now, we’re attempting to set up some times for orientation meetings where we go to the plant site and provide information to the employees who are losing their jobs," she said. "Beyond that, there are several, and various, services we can offer to help them find a new means of employment."

At the new center dedicated to former Intermet employees, the Job Training Partnership Act will be well-represented. Also ready to help the workers will be a technician from the unemployment compensation unit in Columbus, she said.

Employees also may begin utilizing the job-matching services.

"We have a computer where we enter information for job seekers and employers. The computer will match the required rate of pay, skills and locations of jobs to job seekers," Ms. Craigmiles said. "This also can be done at several web sites from the person’s home, the library, here at the One-Stop center –  anywhere there is a computer with Internet access."

For more information about services available, contact the One-Stop center directly by calling 532-8082.