This old, weathered plaque on the L. S. Starrett building on the corner of Main and Crescent Streets lets you know it is 74 miles to Boston, 27 to Fitchburg and 15 to Gardner to the east and 15 miles to Fitzwilliam, N.H., 7 to West Royalston and 6 to Royalston to the north.
This old, weathered plaque on the L. S. Starrett building on the corner of Main and Crescent Streets lets you know it is 74 miles to Boston, 27 to Fitchburg and 15 to Gardner to the east and 15 miles to Fitzwilliam, N.H., 7 to West Royalston and 6 to Royalston to the north. Credit: Staff Photo/Paul Franz

Overview:

A federal grant of $551,195 has been awarded by the US Department of Labor to support employment and training services for the 78 workers laid off from L.S. Starrett Co.'s Athol headquarters. The National Dislocated Worker Grant will be processed through the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to assist dislocated workers seeking assistance in Franklin and Worcester counties. The grant will provide career, training, and supportive services designed to enable rapid reemployment and long-term economic stability for 30 dislocated workers over a 36-month performance period.

ATHOL – A federal grant will provide job training and other services to some of the 78 workers laid off by L.S. Starrett Co. on June 30 of last year.

The employees laid off from the company’s Athol headquarters were among 179 workers let go company-wide. No specific reason was given for the layoffs, and the employees were a mix of recent hires and those that had been with the company for years.

Last Friday, Jan. 2, the U.S. Department of Labor announced it had awarded a grant of $551,195 to support employment and training services for those laid off from the Athol headquarters. In a statement, the Department of Labor said the National Dislocated Worker Grant will be processed through the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to assist “dislocated workers seeking assistance in Franklin and Worcester counties.”

MassHire Franklin Hampshire, based in Greenfield, applied for the grant in August of last year, seeking $420,000. In its application, MassHire characterized the layoffs as a “single mass dislocation event.” The sudden dismissals from Starrett, it continued, “significantly disrupted the rural Athol-Orange labor market, which has a labor force of only 9,480 workers.”

“We were thrilled to learn that this funding has been awarded, and we are in communication with the MA Department of Career Services to determine next steps and a timeline for implementation,” said Maura Geary, co-executive director of MassHire Franklin Hampshire.

According MassHire’s grant application, the local unemployment rate jumped from 3.9% to around 4.7%, “straining an area already facing high poverty (18.1% in Athol; 22% in Orange), low educational attainment (only 13-22% of residents with bachelor’s degrees), and geographic isolation with limited transportation options.”

In addition to the effect the layoffs would have on the workers themselves, MassHire noted the overall negative impact to the local economy due to less consumer spending, increased demand for public services, and potential secondary job losses in local retail and service industries.

MassHire said the grant would serve 30 dislocated L.S. Starrett workers over a 36-month performance period. This would provide career, training, and supportive services designed to enable rapid reemployment and long-term economic stability.

Services offered by the program, as outlined in the application, would include skills assessments, labor market guidance, Individual Employment Plans, and job readiness workshops, providing assistance with resume development, interview preparation, and digital literacy.

Other services to be offered include occupational training for positions in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, clean energy and transportation. Support offered to those participating in the program will include transportation vouchers, child care stipends, certification/licensing fees, and “work-related tools or uniforms to remove barriers to participation.”

MassHire hopes to “achieve unsubsidized job placement for at least 24 participants in high-demand sectors,” and “strengthen regional workforce capacity through expanded employer partnerships.”