Senator Urges To Take Advantage of Opportunity.gov

The help provided at Opportunity.gov can be significant: In particular, the Federal Pell Grant program can provide up to $5,350 for educational costs at community colleges, colleges and universities, and many trade and technical schools. This is only one example of several federal student aid programs available to assist unemployed workers.

Harkin's press office today released the following information in regarding his support for opportunity.gov.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today applauded President Obama’s announcement that out of work Americans can pursue education and training, and at the same time keep their unemployment benefits. Earlier today, the Labor Department announced 539,000 jobs were lost in April, with over 6 million lost in the past year.

Harkin chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds labor initiatives and is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP.)

“In order to truly turn our economy around and get Americans back to work, we must provide the education and job training necessary for those who have been displaced in this economic downturn,” said Harkin. “We all know the old proverb, when you give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime. For that reason, I applaud the President’s efforts to change the way the system works.”

States will send letters to every unemployment recipient describing available training opportunities. For more information on the new program, please visit http://www.opportunity.gov or http://harkin.senate.gov/documents/pdf/WorkforceInvestment.pdf to see a list of job training initiatives Harkin worked to secure in the Economic Recovery Package.