Workers have been called back to JLG as parent company Oshkosh Corporation embarks on a $1.06 billion Department of Defense contract for over 2,200 armored vehicles. McConnellsburg workers will make the cabs for Oshkoshs mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicle, or M-ATVs, to be used by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Troy Thompson, a spokesman for the state Department of Labor and Industry, says the grant of $300,000 will be matched by JLG. When they were awarded the military contract, in order to meet demand, they needed to expand their skill sets beyond construction vehicles for military vehicles, he says.
The Workforce Investment Act provides dislocated worker funds to support local training, education and reemployment activities for workers who have lost their jobs through mass layoffs. The JLG retraining program will extend for three to four weeks. Onsite training has already started for the employees, with wages estimated in the range of $10-12 per hour.
Source: Troy Thompson, PA Dept. of Labor and Industry
Writer: Chris OToole