Springfield job center offers training as $600 extra in unemployment ends

(KY3)
Published: Aug. 4, 2020 at 8:58 PM CDT
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - A $600 weekly federal aid payment for the jobless is no more.

It’s leaving some people around the Springfield area worried about making ends meet while they look for work.

“It’s going to hurt bad,” said Christina Winther, who was laid off at the beginning of summer. “I was working at a telecommunications provider, we were a call center,” said Winther.

For the past month, Winther has been receiving the extra $600 a week on top of her unemployment check.

“Luckily, right now I don’t have to pay for childcare. There are three adults in this house, two of us are not working,” said Winther.

She says she was putting some of the extra cash in savings, the rest helped to pay for things that otherwise wouldn’t have gotten done.

“We ended up having air-conditioning issues without a vehicle, it’s our only vehicle, it’s all we got,” said Winther.

And while the $600 is not available anymore, officials at the Springfield Job Center say they offer training and other resources to help you and your family.

“We have actually gotten some cares act funding, it’s like an additional $450,000 to train individuals, whether they are employed or not, to help them upskill a higher paying job or another career,” said Spokesman, Katherine Trombetta.

The training is free, but there are certain guidelines you must meet.

“These are short-term training. They may last a few weeks or a couple of months. Then we can help them skill up in areas like IT, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, and transportation,” said Trombetta.

Winther hopes Congress approves more money to help the unemployed, but in the meantime, she will continue to look and find ways to support her family.

“For instance, without that, I am looking at $252 a week, and that’s without any other potential income coming in, because I also donate plasma so I get a little bit of cushion that way,” said Winther.

At the end of August, the Springfield Job Center will be teaming up with the Hollister Chamber of Commerce to have another drive-through hiring event.

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