HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvanians who need jobs and employment assistance will receive better services from the Department of Labor & Industry as a result of Governor Tom Corbett's proposed 2012-13 budget.

The Department of Labor & Industry will be able to absorb necessary reductions in funding without compromising the quality of services it provides to Pennsylvanians looking for jobs, or to employers looking for skilled workers.

"We have worked hard over the past year to find and eliminate redundancies, streamline inefficient programs and modernize obsolete practices in the department," said Labor & Industry Secretary Julia Hearthway. "This work has allowed us to allocate our resources more effectively, and to ensure that we can make necessary cuts to our budget while continuing to improve our services."

The Department of Labor & Industry's contribution to Pennsylvania's workforce and economic development efforts in the coming year will be significant. The department is an important part of the JobsFirst PA initiative:

• Inter-agency partnerships with the departments of Education and Community & Economic Development will help leverage federal Workforce Investment Act funds, streamline workforce development programs, create a comprehensive strategy to place highly-trained Pennsylvanians into Marcellus Shale-related careers and ensure that Pennsylvanians are receiving the education necessary to compete in a globally connected marketplace.
• Keystone Works will provide rapid back-to-work employment services for unemployed Pennsylvanians and incentives for the employers who hire them. Under the program, participants will keep their eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits while receiving Labor & Industry-certified training for up to eight weeks at 24 hours per week. The employers who hire them will receive up to $375 for each four-week period during which a program-trained hire works at least 30 hours. The maximum monetary benefit employers can receive is $1,500 over 16 weeks.
• The department is creating comprehensive job-matching tools that will connect skilled workers with employers, and improve the connection between workforce and economic development. By using the information gathered from claimants fulfilling the work-search provision of Pennsylvania unemployment compensation law, Labor & Industry will be able to provide job-matching services specifically tailored to individual claimants' needs.

"This department will deliver the products and expertise that state government, employers and the workforce need to make the right choices and position our state, our business and our families for success," Hearthway said.

To learn more about the Department of Labor & Industry and its services, visit www.dli.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Christopher S. Manlove, 717-787-7530

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

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