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Dislocated Worker Transition Center in Waterloo to Close March 30
after Delivering $1.7 Million in Training, Support Services
WATERLOO, IOWA — The Dislocated Worker Transition Center, located on the campus of Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, will permanently close March 30, 2018, after delivering $1.7 million in training and support services to dislocated workers.
The Center and services targeted 1,300 workers who had been laid off by John Deere starting in the fall of 2014 because of a decline in farm equipment sales and were made possible through a National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said the center provided critical career services to displaced workers, many who had worked at John Deere for decades.
“The way our partners came together to support those dislocated workers has been an inspiration and demonstrates the strength of working together,” said Director Townsend. “While the Dislocated Worker Transition Center will be closing soon, IowaWORKS Centers across the state continue to power possibilities for Iowans by connecting workers with opportunities and employers to workforce solutions.”
The Center is closing because available grant funds have expired and the dislocated workers have either found other employment or returned to work at John Deere. Assistance will continue to be available at the IowaWORKS Center in Waterloo, 3420 University Ave. The Waterloo office recently expanded its hours and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Iowa Workforce Development sought the grant as part of a collaborative effort between IowaWORKS, John Deere, Hawkeye Community College and Union Auto Workers Local 838, which represented bargaining unit employees from Deere’s Waterloo plants. The funds were awarded June 30, 2015, and the center celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 18, 2015.
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An Equal Opportunity Employer/Program
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request for individuals with disabilities.
www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov
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