CARIBOU, Maine — State and local officials announced Monday that an additional $100,000 will be funneled into Maine to help retrain former Maine Military Authority employees.
Last May, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $463,083 to be administered by the Northern Maine Development Commission and the Aroostook/Washington Workforce Investment Board. The money was requested to help employees laid off from the Limestone military vehicle refurbishing facility.
The National Emergency Grant supplement will finance re-employment and training services for about 75 of 150 workers affected by the layoffs last year.
“More of the dislocated workers are seeking retraining assistance as their unemployment insurance benefits begin to exhaust and are exploring new careers that these funds will be able to assist in their progress,” Ryan Pelletier, executive director of the Aroostook/Washington Workforce Investment Board, said Monday.
Maine Military Authority has laid off roughly 150 people because of a dropoff in federal work orders.
The company has 194 employees.
National Emergency Grants are provided in response to large, unexpected economic events that lead to significant job losses.
U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, was pleased to hear the news.
“This important funding will ensure that the 75 workers affected by layoffs at Maine Military Authority continue to have access to essential employment services,” said Michaud. “In this tough climate, National Emergency Grants provide vital assistance that help workers get back on their feet.”
Jane Oates, assistant secretary of labor for employment and training, said that the additional funding “will enable these workers to continue to receive services that equip them with the necessary skills to re-enter the workforce.”
“Access to this kind of assistance is critical in today’s challenging labor market,” she added.
One would then presume that the Israeli orders for Hummer’s didn’t come thru then. With all of the Hummer’s going thru Houlton going north on the trailer’s, can someone then tell me where these are going if not to the MMA facility ?
This funding does not have anything to do with the Israeli HMMWV’s. These folks were laid off back in March of 2011 due to a decline in National Guard work–the potential for business with Israel didn’t come into focus until early 2012. I read that the IDF considers MMA a front runner for the potential contract. The HMMWV’s you see going through Houlton– 90% go to MMA–they are National Guard HMMWV’s. The other 10% go to National Guard sites.
They really need to start looking at refurbishing MRAPs and other military vehicles. HMMWvs are being phased out in th enear future.
MRAPs are great and help save lives , however, in the “sand box” these vehicles are to heavy for sand and roll over easily on the small roads. They are also to heavy and to large for most third world countries where the inferstructure road systems will not hold the weight of MRAP’s. In some third world countries, I could not perform manuvers due to the power lines hanging so low in the countries and the MRAP’s were to tall to go under them causing a serious risk–the HMMWV’s were perfect and still have a viable future for Army, NG and the Marines.