Workers soon-to-be or already displaced by the recent closure announcements of Tyson Foods and Holiday Resort were given some useful guidance this week thanks to several local and state entities.
Wednesday and Thursday, the Lyon County Fairgrounds Bowyer Community building hosted a pair of informational seminars for employees of the above-mentioned employers focusing primarily on how to access unemployment benefits. The two-day event was organized by KansasWorks in partnership with the Kansas Department of Labor which provided the unemployment benefit information.
KansasWorks Assistant Executive Director Katie Givens spoke with KVOE News during the informational events and says it is not uncommon for people to be less than knowledgeable about unemployment benefits until they actually need them. When it comes to accessing said benefits she says one of the biggest challenges is just navigating technology.
Thankfully, she says KansasWorks can lend a hand in that regard.
Givens also noted that when it comes to job displacement, accessing unemployment is not a solution for workers it is really just a step in the journey towards reaching stability. She says once workers are able to access said benefits the next step needs to be finding a new job or career.
Regardless of where they may be in that process, Givens says it is important to be as informed as possible so they can navigate the situation as calm and collected as possible.
For those who were unable to attend the seminars this week, Givens says they can still access the information by either visiting EmporiaOpportunities.com or GetKansasBenefits.gov. Information presented this week was offered in both English and Spanish thanks to partnerships with local agencies including Emporia Spanish Speakers, USD 253 Migrant Education and various volunteers from both agencies as well as Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow and Crosswinds Counseling and Wellness.
Dovetailing off of the unemployment seminars this week will be a resource fair and job fair taking place January 8 from 11 am to 5 pm also at the Lyon County Fairgrounds. Those efforts are being spearheaded by the United Way of the Flint Hills and Southeast KansasWorks respectively.
