There may or may not be gold in them thar hills according to rumor two centuries ago during the Gold Rush in America, but there is immediate training monies currently available for certain financial industry laid off individuals in New York State.

If you were laid off after June 1^st, 2008 from a major financial firm or bank in New York such as Citibank NA, Bank of New York, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, Bear Stearns or one of a whole list of 25 other companies and banks, you will be eligible for a National Emergency Grant which disperses funds for retraining or upgrading your skills toward reemployment and in New York State is targeted at certain financial institution dislocated workers where there were particularly heavy layoffs.

Log onto www.labor.state.ny.us and search “NEG.” Scroll down to “What’s New.” You will see the list of companies for eligibility. Remember, you must have lost your job June 1st, 2008 or later from one of the companies mentioned. There is a survey form on that page but best to go in person through the eligibility claim process at a One Stop Career Center. The state is swamped with claims and may no longer be answering those surveys online.

These funds are distributed through government-sponsored offices in conjunction with the NYS Department of Labor, known as One Stop Career Centers in your residential locality.

You must register in person for NEG training. Call the nearest center and make an appointment. As to see a career counselor and indicate that you NEG eligible. The counselor will phone Albany to obtain a confirmation number for you that will secure your funds. You must know what training is available and appropriate to you and you find this out through the counselor. Once you decide on a school and program, the counselor then asks for the amount the program costs to be reserved in your name along with the name of the training institution you choose.

If you’ve already enrolled yourself in training to prepare you to return to your career or start a new one, you may qualify for reimbursement, providing your enrollment is very recent.

Each center operates independently and you must be a resident of the particular One Stop to which you apply. Hurry before those New York State funds run out.

Even if you’re not NEG eligible, the One Stops may offer other training grants and a plethora of other job search assistance to help you become reemployed.

Two websites to find out more about One Stop Career Center locations and general information about free services available for dislocated workers and other economically disadvantaged individuals: www.servicelocator.org and www.careeronestop.org

-By The Job Enthusiast Who Won’t Rest Till Everyone Is Put To Work!

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