The closure of the Farmer John meat processing plant in Vernon, Calif., would leave nearly 2,500 workers out of work. Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced in June 2022 that it would close its Los Angeles plant after 90 years in the community.
To help affected workers, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) announced the approval of “$6.1 million in grants to facilitate training and specialized employment services.”
“Most of these workers have been employed for many years at Farmer John and are now facing barriers to finding new employment,” said Nancy Farias, director of EDD. “This coordinated collaboration will provide an immediate response to ensure the needs of these workers are met quickly and avoid the risk of prolonged unemployment.”
The money is intended to provide education and training to people who have lost their jobs to acquire skills and knowledge that are needed in today’s job market.
The assistance aims to provide “career guidance to identify the services workers need to successfully transition into new careers that take advantage of their skills.”
In addition, affected individuals will receive information and assistance with resources such as Unemployment Insurance, CalFresh, Covered California, and other support services.
The funds are part of an EDD collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, City of Los Angeles Department of Economic Development and Workforce; the County and City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Councils; California Federation of Labor and UFCW Food and Commercial Workers Local 770.
For more information, visit the California EDD page.