When he was laid off from his job at American Woodmark in Hazard, Harold Hughes found himself in the same position as many other workers who have lost jobs during the recent economic downturn: suddenly thrust into a very competitive job market that had changed since they last looked for work.

Fortunately, a new initiative from the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program Inc. is helping hundreds of under-qualified eastern Kentuckians earn a GED and move on into a good job or into the postsecondary training that will qualify them for an even better job.

The initiative—called “GED2Job”—is currently helping more than 250 eastern Kentuckians prepare for and pass the GED test while developing a detailed plan for the steps that will lead to career success after earning their GED.

Harold, 31, is one of GED2Job’s early successes. Harold recently obtained his GED through GED2Job and has entered Hazard Community and Technical College to study heating and air conditioning.

GED2Job not only provides financial assistance to remove the obstacles that keep many GED students from being able to devote their full attention to their studies, it also provides career counseling that helps students identify their career interests, abilities, and the options for education and employment that are available to them—and make a clear plan for reaching their goals.

GED2Job also provides tuition money and support for students like Harold who choose to further their educations, or provides on-the-job training opportunities, internships, and help with work placements for students who choose to go straight to work after earning their GED.

Harold says he considered himself lucky to have found a job as good as the one he held for seven years at American Woodmark, because he had quit high school with only four months left in his senior year—a mistake he says he now regrets.

“I got in a bunch of trouble and I got mad and quit,” he said. “If I had to do it over again I wouldn’t do it.”

After dropping out, Harold went to work. He worked in retail stores for a while before landing the position at American Woodmark.

“It was a really good job,” Harold said. He worked there molding furniture for seven years before the economic downturn led to lay offs in April.

“It hurt,” he said, adding that he and his wife, Alisha, were worried about the uncertain financial position it left them in.

Harold and Alisha both knew they needed more education to compete in today’s job market, he said. Alisha went back to school to learn medical coding with financial assistance from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program offered through the LKLP Community Action Council. Harold also went to LKLP’s offices and met with Tina Strunk, a WIA Career Advisor, to find out about the services he was eligible for as a dislocated worker.

Harold began taking GED preparation classes and soon after was offered the opportunity to enroll in EKCEP’s GED2Job by Mona Sammons, LKLP’s Career Advisor in charge of the GED2Job initiative.

Harold enjoyed the classes, which included several other laid off workers, and dedicated himself to his studies. Once he started to get refreshed on the material he had left behind more than a decade ago, it came easily, he said.

To ensure that Harold could devote full attention to his studies, GED2Job provided financial assistance of $4 for each hour he spent in GED-preparation classes, up to 30 hours per week. GED2Job also provided an additional $300 a month to help with his family’s rent while he was studying.

Harold passed the GED test easily on his first try, then completed a special three-day work readiness program offered by EKCEP that teaches skills and behaviors that improve a student’s chance of workplace success. Now, as a newly minted high school graduate, he is excited to be attending college to study for a promising new career.

“I feel good about it,” he said, smiling as he adds that his family and his children are proud of his accomplishments.

GED2Job is paying his college tuition and helping with other related expenses.

Tina and Mona said Harold’s dedication made him a model GED2Job participant who stuck to his work and never missed a class. Tina added that after seeing how much Harold wants to make a good life for himself, she’s sure he’ll succeed.

“I know he’s going to achieve all of his goals,” she said.

Harold said the assistance from GED2Job was vital to helping him succeed in coping with the setback of being laid off.

“It helped me, and it could help other people,” he said.

EKCEP’s GED2Job initiative is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

For more information about Workforce Investment Act assistance available to workers who have lost jobs, call 1-877-512-WORK or visit http://www.ekcep.org/servicesfordislocwkrs.htm.