
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, September 23, 1994                   TAG: 9409280031
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PLANNING COMMISSION SURVEYING JOB-TRAINING NEEDS

The New River Valley Planning District Commission wants to know what workers around the area need in the way of job training to make sure defense cutbacks don't hurt their ability to make a living.

As part of its evolving economic adjustment strategy, the commission is conducting a labor force survey of the valley, focusing on workers whose jobs have been or could be impacted by defense downsizing.

The commission wants to tap into a $25 million fund, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, to help educate workers, retrain them, build resume and job hunting skills and so on.

"It's kind of there for the asking by the communities who have been hurt by defense downsizing," said Daria Dittmer, a regional planner with the commission. "I'm not sure if the Department of Labor knows how it wants to spend it."

The survey is part of a larger effort that seeks to formulate a plan to revitalize the valley's economy. For over a year, the commission has been orchestrating a mixture of community meetings, industry and economic studies, and idea-gathering from local leaders.

The commission hopes to have at least 400 respondents to create a statistically valid survey. Individual responses will be confidential, with only cumulative data being reported. Anyone interested in participating, should call the commission at 633-0116.

by CNB