Self Employment for Dislocated Workers

Background

Whether driven by necessity, opportunity or the desire to fulfill a dream, self-employment has been on a steady increase in recent years. Today, more than 225,000 rural North Carolinians work for themselves.

By contrast, agriculture and traditional manufacturing are employing fewer rural residents. Many people have lost their jobs because of plant closings and layoffs, and this downward trend is expected to continue. For many, replacing lost jobs and wages has proved to be a challenge.

The Rural Center believes that some of these dislocated workers may be suited to join the growing ranks of the self-employed. Some ran side-businesses even while employed full time. Others learned the fundamentals of commerce while growing up in a family business. Still others have hobbies with earnings potential.

The Rural Center has joined with other agencies to help these individuals assess and strengthen their potential as entrepreneurs.

Project GATE

Project GATE, or Growing America Through Entrepreneurship, is a scholarship program that provides training and coaching to help rural dislocated workers interested in starting a business. North Carolina is one of four states participating in the demonstration project, which will run from 2009 through 2011.

In North Carolina, the demonstration is being led by the N.C. Department of Commerce in cooperation with the N.C. Community College System – Small Business Center Network, the N.C. Employment Security Commission, the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, North Carolina REAL Enterprises and local JobLink Career Centers. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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The NOW Program

Similar to Project GATE, the New Opportunities for Workers demonstration project operated from 2004 until 2006. It began as a joint effort of the center’s Rural Dislocated Worker Initiative and the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship. It also involved collaboration with the N.C. Commission on Workforce Development, the N.C. Department of Commerce's Division of Employment and Training, the Community College System's Small Business Center Network and NC REAL Enterprises. Together they devised a program of training and encouragement for dislocated workers who dream of starting and running a business. Funding for NOW was provided by the N.C. Department of Commerce through the Workforce Investment Act training program.

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N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
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