Labor announces 3.6M in grants to retrain laid-off pharma workers

The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development on Friday announced the availability of $3.6 million in federal funding for retraining and re-employment opportunities for pharmaceutical workers who have been laid off.

The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development on Friday announced the availability of $3.6 million in federal funding for retraining and re-employment opportunities for pharmaceutical workers who have been laid off.

Among the eligible workers are those who have worked at such companies as Amicus Therapeutics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. and Pfizer, according to Labor.

More than $1 million in funding, which comes through a federal Labor Department National Emergency Grant, has already been allocated to the state.

“We still have funding available for short-term education and training grants at many colleges and universities in New Jersey to help this special segment of our work force transition into the smaller, but viable and emerging, bio-science industry,” agency Commissioner Harold J. Wirths said in an announcement.

The grant funding will be used to assist workers who were laid off from specific pharmaceutical operations to find new jobs, or to obtain training to enter employment in other growing industry sectors. Services available include skills assessment, career counseling and skills training;
 qualified candidates may receive up to $5,000 in education grants.