Program aims to retrain Rhode Islanders in fields ravaged by virus

Rhode Island has started a new skills training program for workers whose jobs will be permanently wiped out by the pandemic recession.

Scott Jensen, director of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, had no estimate of how many jobs would be eliminated but said it would be “significant.”

“I’m deeply concerned about how many jobs are going to come back from the pandemic action,” he said.

When Gov. Gina Raimondo described the Back to Work RI program at a news briefing on Sept. 16, she identified workers in these hard-hit industries as among the candidates for retraining: hospitality, restaurants, retail, office clerks.

“This is a long-term solution with an emphasis on people left out of the job market,” she said. “It’s hard to restart and relearn ... Get trained, commit to the program and there will be a job in a different industry.”

The state has committed $45 million from federal CARES Act stimulus funding and plans to start training 3,000 people, then expand.

The money has to be used by Dec. 30 but Jensen hopes Congress will extend the deadline.

The program is a partnership with Rhode Island employers, such as CVS, Electric Boat and Infosys, that have committed to hiring those who complete the program.

Local schools, such as New England Tech and the Community College of Rhode Island, will do the training.

Jensen said the retraining will help workers learn technical skills to land new, digital economy jobs. He said an increase in skilled workers in Rhode Island will meet the demands of companies, help them compete globally and make the state more attractive to new and relocating businesses.

Rhode Islanders can sign up for Back to Work RI at https://www.backtoworkri.org/signup