Rapid Response Vital in Troubled Economic Times

Submitted By: Eric Nelson, Senior Vice President/Director, Public Investments, Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board

Although news coverage of the recession has focused more on the troubled corporate world, declining real estate values and the ever-fluctuating price of gasoline, unemployment also is on the rise.

And while there may not have been massive layoffs in our region, area workforce experts are expecting larger bouts of unemployment.

Enter Rapid Response

Simply put, Rapid Response is a publicly funded out placement service. These services are triggered in response to layoffs and plant closings. Services are quickly coordinated and provide immediate aid to companies and their affected workers.

Services are delivered using a team of key stakeholders — the "Rapid Response Team" — to work with employers and any employee representatives to maximize public and private resources to minimize disruptions associated with job loss. In Philadelphia, the Rapid Response Team is comprised of representatives from the public workforce system, with its work of interest to the City of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

What exactly do Rapid Response services entail?

It can include career counseling and job search assistance; job readiness workshops, including resume preparation and interviewing skills; local labor market information; unemployment insurance; and information about and connections to education and training opportunities.

Subsequent to an assessment to determine services needed to assist impacted employees, a service delivery strategy is developed by the Rapid Response Team, in collaboration with the employer.

Rapid response sessions take place once the decision has been made to reduce a workforce. However, there may be an opportunity where layoff aversion efforts can be put in place so that no dislocations need to occur.

Further, for companies looking to hire, rapid response services can provide access to a pool of skilled, experienced workers.

So, if you suspect you will soon face a layoff, or you are in need of skilled workers, don't wait. Contact Basil Gordon at bgordon@pwdc.org or at 215-854-1979.

And if you have concluded that a layoff or closing may happen, submit a formal notification by completing a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice. Notice filing information can be found at www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=127&Q=55821.

Finally, contact Anita Cook at ancook@state.pa.us or 717-877-3551 to begin developing a strategy for affected workers. Usually, 50 or more workers is the requirement, but employers are encouraged to file any amount to minimize disruptions.

Granted, these efforts won’t cure our ailing economy, but we can give the displaced a leg up toward finding their next job, keeping pressure off social service agencies that would have to deal with the aftermath. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.

About Eric Nelson: Eric Nelson is senior vice president/director, public investments at the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (PWIB). The PWIB is a non-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board appointed by the Mayor of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board works to align the skills of the region’s labor force to meet the needs of industry, ultimately supporting the region’s growth and prosperity. For more information, visit www.pwib.org.