Gov. Mike Easley announced today that a Rapid Response Team from the N.C. Department of Commerce is being deployed to work with Silver Line Building Products LLC., which has announced that it plans to close its Durham window manufacturing facility in late December. The closing will affect 428 workers.
“I have directed the Rapid Response Team to work with Silver Line Building Products and local employment partners to help these workers begin the process to either find new jobs or receive additional training so they can remain successful in our competitive economy,” Easley said. “Our Rapid Response Team is committed to reducing the amount of time these employees are out of work.”
The Commerce Department’s Workforce Development Division is in the process of contacting the company to set up an initial meeting with company officials. At that meeting, the company and team will begin to determine what services will be needed. Follow-up meetings will then be held with employees.
The Rapid Response Team, led by the Commerce Department, consists of representatives from state and local agencies, including the local work force development board, the Employment Security Commission/JobLink Career Centers and the N.C. Community College System. The team helps coordinate transitional services for employees who have lost their jobs due to a layoff or facility closure. Services provided to workers may include job search and placement assistance, job fairs, financial planning workshops, career counseling, labor market information, and assessment of skills and needs.