Project New Start
Background
Job losses in North Carolina have been driven by numerous factors, among them, global competition, a general industrial restructuring, the 1998 tobacco settlement, the end of the tobacco quota system and the 2001 recession with its slow recovery. In fact, layoffs continued to be announced long after the recession’s end, especially in traditional manufacturing industries. While the job losses have touched all areas of the state, some communities have been hit harder than others. In those hard-hit communities, many dislocated workers have found it particularly difficult to obtain new jobs. The strain on families and communities has been considerable.
The demonstration project
The Rural Center launched Project New Start in January 2004 to provide more intensive transition assistance to dislocated workers. The idea was to marshal the resources and insights of community-based organizations and use those to complement the services provided by public workforce training and job-placement agencies. Three demonstration sites serving four counties participated in the first phase of the project, which lasted through June 30, 2005. A second phase, which began in January 2006, refined aspects of this cooperative approach.
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Vance County, which had been hurt by closures of tobacco processing and textile plants. With Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity serving as the lead agency, the demonstration focused on the needs of dislocated workers who had been out of work for an extended amount of time. It incorporated a Job Preparation Boot Camp and emergency services to help dislocated workers stay afloat while they looked for jobs.
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Wilson County, one of the state’s leading tobacco producing counties and once home to several tobacco warehouses and processing plants. Project staff from the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Wilson worked out of the Wilson Employment Security Commission/JobLink office and collaborated with public workforce agencies to train and place dislocated tobacco workers.
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Transylvania and Buncombe counties, hurt by closures of plants that made cigarette paper, x-ray film and textiles. The Transylvania Christian Ministry and the Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry cooperated with JobLink partners to assist dislocated workers with career planning, referrals and emergency services.
Phase I. Financed primarily by the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Phase I focused on communities hit hard by the decline of the tobacco economy and on workers with lower educational levels. The three demonstration sites built on local strengths to answer the particular needs of the home community as they aided dislocated workers. In these projects, the local organizations provided individual guidance in identifying and obtaining needed training, job-search assistance and family support services. They worked in conjunction with existing state programs, such as community colleges, the Employment Security Commission and JobLink Career Centers, and filled gaps in needed services. Participating communities were:
Phase I results. The three sites provided services to 617 dislocated workers, three-quarters of whom were dislocated tobacco workers. Most of these workers faced multiple barriers to re-employment, including limited education and inexperience in the job search, along with the distress caused by financial and housing crises. All 617 dislocated workers received case management services, referrals and help with setting career goals. In addition, 151 received education or job skills training, 196 received emergency or supportive services, and 247 found a new job.
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Wilson County, where the original partners continued to build on community-based approaches to aid dislocated tobacco workers. Between January 2006 and April 2007, this demonstration site continued to serve many dislocated tobacco workers and address the needs of a community with higher than average unemployment levels.
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Harnett and Johnston counties, where workers had lost jobs in food manufacturing and other industries. Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action addressed needs for emergency and supportive services. Johnston County Industries handled training and job placement. Project services took place from April 2006 through December 2007.
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Randolph County, in which the majority of project participants had been laid off from manufacturing jobs, most notably in textiles and furniture. Christians United Outreach Center teamed up with Randolph Community College to conduct the program, with Christians United focusing on emergency services and the community college on training and job placement.
Phase II. The second phase of Project New Start expanded the demonstration’s industry and geographic focus. It was funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Labor, the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina. Participating counties were:
Phase II results. Phase II of the project provided services to 573 dislocated workers, all of whom received case management services, referrals and help with setting career goals. In addition, more than 100 received education or job skills training, 382 received emergency or supportive services, 229 found a new job, and four were exploring the possibility of starting a small business.
Total Project New Start results. Across the seven counties and two phases of work, Project New Start served 1,162 dislocated workers, with 470 of them gaining new jobs.
