NANTICOKE, Pa. — As many in Luzerne County and beyond find themselves unemployed in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, administrators at Luzerne County Community College say, for some, finding a new job could be tough.
"There's a lot of research that suggests that those who don't have a post-secondary credential will find it more difficult in an economic downturn to return to well-paying jobs, so education and training can help lift them out of that," explained Susan Spry, the vice president of Workforce Development at LCCC.
Through the Employment Retraining Opportunities Program, LCCC can allow someone who is out of work and collecting unemployment to sign up for a semester of courses, free of charge.
"The community college can really offer individuals who are unemployed, with a variety of skills and competencies that will help them find reemployment," added Spry.
Administrators with Luzerne County Community College tell Newswatch 16 that this will not be the first time the institution has helped out in the middle of an economic crisis.
"In our first foray into this program in early 2009, we were truthfully inundated with students who utilize this program. To date, we've had 650 people or so utilize the program. Even back at that point, some people use the program to finish a degree they had started and needed to interrupt, some started toward a degree, and others looked at some selected courses that would make them more employable when they could find work," said Spry.
There is still time to sign up for courses through this program for this semester. If you would like to learn more, you can visit the LCCC's ERO Program website here.