Abt Associates/Workforce Learning Strategies 1 

WORKING DRAFT 

NATIONAL EMERGENCY GRANT PROMISING PRACTICES SERIES:

IMPLEMENTING TRANSITION TEAMS TO LEAD THE DISLOCATION RESPONSE

PREPARED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BY:

ABT ASSOCIATES INC.    WORKFORCE LEARNING STRATEGIES

55 WHEELER STREET    5 TENNEY STREET

CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138   CAMBRIDGE, MA 02140

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY GRANT PROMISING PRACTICES SERIES 

States and local areas that administer National Emergency Grants (NEGs) have developed a

growing body of expertise in the effective management of these grants.  The National

Emergency Grant Promising Practices Series is a compilation of ten documents whose purpose

is to highlight and share some exemplary approaches that were instrumental in preparing

for, planning, and implementing a NEG.  The intent of disseminating these effective

methodologies on a broad, national level is to facilitate the continuous improvement of NEG

project operations and to promote peer‐to‐peer information‐sharing among practitioners.  

The information presented in the NEG Promising Practices Series was gleaned from a study,

which focused on the in‐depth review of fifteen NEG projects that varied in type, size, and

scope.  Collectively, these projects represent an investment of $282,377,589 made by the

Department of Labor (DOL) that helped states assist dislocated workers obtain

reemployment in the aftermath of a large layoff or disaster‐related event.  The insights

shared by these grantees were synthesized for dissemination, resulting in a set of promising

practices that build upon four broad themes:

Infrastructure and Readiness. How grantees have organized state and local

delivery systems to ensure effective and efficient use of NEG resources;

Planning and Start‐Up. How grantees have mobilized key resources and

stakeholders to facilitate effective grant planning and implementation;

Program Design and Implementation. What specific interventions and services have

been implemented to support the unique reemployment needs of dislocated

workers; and

Institutional Results. How NEG investments have directly or indirectly resulted in

an enhanced capacity to respond to unexpected economic events.  

Listed below are the ten documents, which comprise the National Emergency Grant Promising

Practices Series.  Each review addresses a specific area of NEG management and has been

written to emphasize the specific planning, design, and operational decisions that

contributed to successful retraining and reemployment strategies.   

Working Across Boundaries in Planning a Regional NEG Response

Expanding NEG Training Capacity Through Partnerships with Community Colleges

Aligning NEG Strategies with High Growth Sectors and Occupations

Peer Support Systems that Strengthen Outreach and Participation

Preparing for the Unexpected in Disaster Grants

Establishing and Managing a Temporary Jobs Program

Implementing Transition Teams to Lead the Dislocation Response

Partnering with Organized Labor to Support Reemployment

Coordinating Resources to Meet the Reemployment Challenge

Using Data Strategically to Align Job Seekers and Occupational Demand
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PREVIEW 

When large numbers of workers lose their jobs, the affected workforce must endure the

economic pressures resulting from lost income.  The impact, however, does not end here.  

The secondary effects radiate to families, communities, and economic regions, resulting in

an economic crisis that is broad in scope.  This NEG promising practices blueprint explains

how partnering with key stakeholders from the workforce system can improve the

likelihood of dislocated workers accessing needed services and support resources provided

through NEGs and other leveraged funds.  These teams are instrumental in enhancing

communication and collaboration amongst service providers and leaders in the community.

While transition teams may vary in membership, scope, and mission, their integral purpose

is to provide a coordinated response to major layoffs.  The effective execution of a transition

team can enhance a NEG project in all stages of its lifespan:

Infrastructure and Readiness. Systems in place that facilitate communication and

allow for coordination amongst partners will lead to the more efficient use of

available resources as well as an increased potential for the establishment of

lasting infrastructure or processes.   

Planning and Start‐up. The use of transition teams can broaden the stakeholder

base to support NEG planning.  With this increased capacity comes the improved

likelihood of regional integration, leveraging of community resources, and a

greater understanding of the needs of the impacted population.  

Program Design and Implementation. Transition teams can improve availability of

information about the affected workforce as well as maximize enrollment

through focused outreach efforts.  The information these teams provide will give

the displaced workers greater access to resources for education, training, and

supportive services and will enable the workers to make more informed

decisions regarding their plan to achieve reemployment.   

Three broad types of transition teams have emerged and provide a framework for the

discussion that follows:

Workforce transition teams. The purpose of these teams is to improve outreach,

recruitment, and the provision of services to laid off workers in order to

ultimately assist them in returning to employment.  The membership of the

teams generally includes leadership from company management, the workforce,

and, when the company is unionized, labor organizations working closely with

workforce development staff.

Community transition teams. These leadership teams mobilize key community

stakeholders to plan, organize, and gather resources to assist not only laid off

workers but also other local residents who have been directly or indirectly hurt
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by layoffs.  Team members generally include representatives from a wide range

of community organizations including the provision of supportive services such

as transportation and childcare resources, educational institutions, and health

care providers.  These teams may focus on providing a wide variety of ancillary

supports to workers and community members that enable affected workers to

participate in retaining and employment opportunities and align with the

broader reemployment effort.

Economic transition teams. Economic transition teams assess the regional impact of

major dislocations and seek to develop an alternative economic future.  Team

members generally include regional economic development specialists, business

and labor stakeholders, and political leaders.  These teams support the

reemployment effort by trying to prevent or minimize layoffs, developing

alternative economic opportunities, and providing intelligence to dislocated

workers programs on potential areas for future growth occupations.  

Learning from NEG Grantees: This blueprint discusses how NEG grantees developed and

implemented transition teams that provided leadership in responding to economic

dislocation that affected in the workplace, community, and region at large.  Insights are

drawn from five grantees:

Oregon. Local teams were organized in response to large‐scale dislocations in 2005 at

Hewlett‐Packard in Corvallis, affecting approximately 500 workers, and at

Amalgamated Sugar in Nyssa, where 160 jobs were lost.  Both were supported by

State Rapid Response policy, which provides technical and financial assistance to

form joint labor‐management worker transition teams.  NEG Award Amount:

$1,302,337 and $540,816, respectively.

North Carolina. The 2003 Pillowtex closing in Kannapolis involved the loss of 4,800

jobs in a “company town.”  Local governmental agencies and community

organizations in the region formed a leadership team and began to plan a response

by assessing the community‐wide implications of the mass layoffs.  Ultimately the

team formed an on‐site Community Service Center (CSC), which became the focal

point of reemployment and support services.  NEG Award Amount: $20,655,048

million.

Maine. The shutdown of Great Northern Paper’s two mills in 2003 had a devastating

impact on the rural communities of Millinocket and East Millinocket, affecting a total

of 1,100 workers in “the town that paper made.”  A team was formed and gained

significant traction when membership expanded to the local Community Action

Program and the local workforce training organization as well as other community
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members.  This created the leadership nucleus needed to implement the NEG and to

sustain community support efforts.  NEG Award Amount: $9,298,121.

Missouri. In the St. Louis metropolitan region, local and State economic development

leaders created a task force in response to an announcement of the planned closing

of a major Ford Motor Company plant and one of its main suppliers, Lear

Corporation.  In order to assist workers being laid off, a workforce transition team

was also created when the actual plant closing was later announced.  NEG Award

Amount: $1,938,618.

The discussion that follows provides more information on each example, including the

teams’ mission, membership, division of responsibilities, accomplishments, and key lessons

learned.

WORKFORCE TRANSITION TEAMS 

Oregon—Lessons from Hewlett‐Packard and

Amalgamated Sugar:  Workforce transition

teams are shaped by policy from Oregon’s

Department of Community Colleges and

Workforce Development, which manages the

WIA programs.  Departmental guidelines

provide for the technical and financial assistance

needed to set up worker transition teams in

anticipation of a major layoff.  The primary goals

of the teams are to “assist in expediting basic

worker transition services” in order to reduce

time lost from work, minimize income loss,

reduce the length of time that workers receive

unemployment benefits, and speed up workers’

transition to next steps.   

State guidelines for use of WIA set‐aside funds

specifically address the formation of transition

team working committees and allowable

activities.  In addition to these written

guidelines, the State also provides on‐site

technical assistance and guidance in forming

teams.  This technical assistance places

particular emphasis on the importance of team

formation prior to the actual dislocation so as to

support the management of pre‐layoff activities

and to maximize time available for planning

activities and services that follow the layoff.

 

Potential Functions of a 

Workforce Transition Team 

 Personalizing workers’ 

transition services 

 Designing and organizing 

pre-layoff transition 

activities 

 Promoting healthy worker 

and management 

relationships 

 Serving as an information 

conduit 

 Identifying resources for 

personal problems and 

improving morale 

 Maintaining contact with 

workers and providing 

information 

—“Rapid Response 101” Resource 

Guide, Oregon Department of 

Community Colleges and 

Workforce Development
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Two workforce transition teams were organized in response to large‐scale dislocations

supported by NEGs in Oregon.  One transition team was formed to address the needs of a

highly technical workforce that was laid off from a Hewlett‐Packard facility in Corvallis.  

The other was formed to support the closure of Amalgamated Sugar, a manufacturing

facility in a remote part of eastern Oregon on the Idaho border.  State guidelines specify that

transition team membership include worker and management representatives and also offer

criteria for selecting individuals from among those who volunteer for the team.  As can be

seen in the exhibit on the previous page, State guidelines summarize prospective job

functions that provide the basis for reviewing and screening of potential candidates.  At the

same time, the guidelines emphasize the importance of selecting candidates with various

“intangible” qualities (see exhibit below) that are likely to lead to effective and credible

service on a transition team.  

The Amalgamated Sugar transition

team was comprised of twelve people

who met regularly for a year.  The

Hewlett‐Packard transition team met

in person several times; however, since

the H‐P employees preferred electronic

communications, it evolved over time

into more of a “virtual” team.

At the Amalgamated Sugar NEG

project, each team member had regular

contact with approximately 20 workers

impacted by the layoff for whom

he/she was personally responsible.  

Team members maintained regular

contact with their caseload to ensure

that they were fully aware of

upcoming activities and resources

available through the NEG.  Some team members assisted with transportation to meetings

or appointments to ensure that services were received.  Due to their close connection with

the dislocated workers, team members also served as a source of information for project

staff about the workers’ needs, such as understanding the status of their 401(k) plans,

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health benefits, etc.  Project

staff members believe that team members played a vital role in getting workers to take

advantage of reemployment and support services.  In addition to simply increasing

awareness, these team members were also able to reduce the perceived stigma associated

with, for instance, applying for social services or accepting donated food.  

Suggested Traits of Team Members 

 Genuinely interested in the 

welfare of their fellow workers 

 Natural leaders within the 

organization 

 Familiar with the way in which 

the organization functions 

 Knowledgeable about the skills 

and capabilities of the workers 

 Committed to the success of the 

overall transition effort 

—“Rapid Response 101” Resource Guide, 

Oregon Department of Community 

Colleges and Workforce Development
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Missouri—Lessons from Ford‐Lear:  A workforce transition team was established in the St.

Louis region to respond to the large layoffs of workers from the Ford Motor and Lear

Corporation plants.  Workforce transition teams are a regular part of Rapid Response

support in Missouri with leadership for setting up teams and member training provided by

the State American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL‐

CIO) Dislocated Worker Program through a contract with the State workforce agency.  The

premise of these teams is that workers anticipating a layoff are more likely to ask

knowledgeable peers or co‐workers about available services and assistance programs.  In

unionized situations, such as Ford‐Lear, AFL‐CIO guidelines call for the transition team to

be made up of union and company

representatives with both groups providing

input on which workers might be effective

team members.  The Ford‐Lear transition

team ultimately consisted of twenty‐eight

members, including the Human Resources

manager from the Lear Company, two union

presidents (one from Ford and one from

Lear), and twenty‐five workers from the

plants.  The AFL‐CIO Dislocated Worker

Program also sets up transition teams at

non‐union companies.

Transition team volunteers in the Ford‐Lear project were trained by the Missouri AFL‐CIO

staff using a protocol for team training.  During the two‐day session, team members learned

about the types of programs and services available for dislocated workers from agencies

such as the Missouri Career Center Dislocated Worker Program, Division of Employment

Security, Social Security Administration, United Way, and other social service agencies.  At

the Ford‐Lear project site, team members were introduced to representatives of local social

services programs, enabling them to refer dislocated workers to a specific contact person at

the appropriate agency.   

The Ford‐Lear transition team provided assistance to workers for sixteen months in an effort

to maximize support for their reemployment.  Team members’ primary responsibility was

to act as a communication link and information source as well as provide feedback on what

service strategies were needed.  They served as an informal liaison to the Missouri Division

of Workforce Development and informed dislocated workers about program services and

community support resources.   

The workforce transition team supporting the Ford‐Lear NEG project had dedicated space

available in each plant to meet with individual workers.  Through these meetings, team

members gradually recognized that their responsibilities also included dispelling rumors

and correcting the misinformation that inevitably accompanies a large dislocation.  The

Missouri’s Advice on 

Recruiting Transition Team 

Members 

“Circulate a flyer at the 

workplace; ask for volunteers. 

At information sessions, watch 

the crowds, identify natural 

leaders and approach them to 

be on the transition team”. 

-Project Staff, Missouri 

Division of Workforce Development
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team created a newsletter to provide an accurate source of information.  These efforts

helped enable the impacted workers to better focus on moving forward with retraining and

reemployment services.  

  

COMMUNITY TRANSITION TEAMS 

Maine—Lessons from Great Northern Paper:  The 2003 closing of Great Northern Paper

was a major blow to the regional economy and community psyche in northern Maine.  The

1,100 workers affected by the shutdown of two plants in this rural area lost their jobs at the

beginning of the long winter season with few prospects for immediate reemployment.  A

community transition team was formed soon after the announced closing to help laid off

workers meet the basic needs of their families for heat, shelter, food, and clothing

throughout the winter.  Community leaders were concerned that without this initial support

the workers would not be able to focus on planning for reemployment.  The team was

convened by the Director of Eastern Maine Community College’s Katahdin Region Higher

Education Center with colleagues from the local Community Action Program and a local

workforce training organization.  This solidified the leadership nucleus needed to assemble

and leverage community resources so as to maximize the use of NEG funds on the core

training and reemployment functions.  

Through the efforts of this leadership group, the community transition team was expanded

to include a broad array of stakeholders, service providers, and partners including

representatives from:  

Community healthcare providers;

Representatives of the K‐12 system;

Organizations providing supportive services, such as food and fuel assistance;

Community and faith‐based representatives;

Local banks;

Community college and training agencies;

Peer support workers hired under the NEG;

Local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) staff; and

Congressional staff representing elected officials.

The team convened every two weeks for four years with meetings organized and run by a

local chairperson.  The primary goal of the group was to identify community resources that

could support Great Northern Paper workers.  The community college donated space in its

new satellite facility that became the locus of NEG service delivery.  In this capacity, they

identified skilled adjunct faculty who could provide training targeted to the workers’ needs

and to regional labor market conditions.  Local community and faith‐based organizations

provided workers with financial support, food, clothing, fuel assistance and family
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counseling services.  Two local medical practices applied for a Federally Qualified Health

Center grant from the U.S. Public Health Service.  This grant enabled workers and their

families to qualify for reduced‐price prescription drugs and reduced‐cost medical care.  

Banks and credit unions worked with borrowers to help avoid foreclosure by restructuring

loans to allow extending the term of the loan or requiring interest‐only payments.  The

transition team mobilized community resources to meet workers’ immediate needs and

support their efforts to participating in training and other services directed to finding new

employment.  The team also resulted in the informal creation of a partnership infrastructure

that was instrumental in implementing the NEG.  The community transition team model

used for Great Northern Paper was replicated with other mass layoffs in Maine and is now a

standard Rapid Response practice across the State.

North Carolina—Lessons from Pillowtex:  As in Maine, the community transition team in

North Carolina was formed in response to the loss of a major employer.  A large textile

manufacturer, Pillowtex, had been the primary employer in Cabarrus and Rowan Counties

for generations.  In July of 2003 the plant was closed, resulting in 4,300 individuals in the

two counties losing their jobs.  This was the single largest mass layoff in North Carolina

history, and it immediately impacted the entire community.  Over forty percent of

individuals in the two counties had a relative who was directly affected by the layoff.

In April and May 2003, after Pillowtex notified State officials that mass layoffs were likely,

local governmental agencies and community organizations in the region began to consider

the community‐wide implications of a large‐scale dislocation.  This effort was spearheaded

by a core planning group that included the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services

(CCDSS), the Central Carolina Workforce Development Board, and community‐based

organizations with regular input from Pillowtex representatives.  The planning group

assessed the needs of Pillowtex workers and found the following: nearly half the workforce

had less than a high school education, 500 workers were non‐English speaking, average

indebtedness (excluding mortgages) ranged between $2,000 and $9,000, and ninety‐three

percent were unlikely to be able to access health insurance benefits.1  It was clear that

workers’ human service needs were extensive and could significantly impede their

reemployment efforts.  In addition, their collective needs had the potential to overwhelm

existing agency facilities and resources.   

In response to this workforce assessment, the core planning group cast a wide and inclusive

net in its effort to engage the participation and support of community stakeholders in

planning for the immediate needs of workers following layoff.  While input from the

workforce assessment was used in the preparation of the NEG application, it is important to

note that the team viewed this needs analysis as an ongoing process.  Specifically, the

 1   M. Beatty et al. Community Response to the Pillowtex Textile Kannapolis Closing:  The “Rapid

Response” Team as a Facilitative Device.  University of North Carolina, 2004.
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community team was conceptualized as a constantly evolving resource whose focus and

breadth would expand as more was understood about the existing education level, skills

sets, and training needs of former Pillowtex workers.  Through an informal schedule of

meetings and the sustained involvement of the core planning group a concerted effort was

made to identify and coordinate services as the needs of the workforce were further

identified.  Key community team members were representatives of:  

The Community Development Corporation;

United Way of Central Carolinas;

A leading public health care provider in the region, Cabarrus Health Alliance,

and other local health and mental health service providers;

Faith‐based organizations, including Cooperative Christian Ministries;

Consumer credit, budget, and mortgage counseling organizations;

The Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps) programs;  

Community colleges;

Central Carolina Workforce Development Board; and

JobLink Career Center.

Additionally, State staff organized a meeting of representatives from the five community

colleges in the area.  The purpose of the meeting was to examine the system’s capacity,

resources, and readiness to support the re‐training and educational needs of the displaced

workforce.  Information from this meeting and input from the community transition team

helped to shape the planning and implementation of training provided through the NEG.  

Nearly seventy percent of the workforce resided in the service area of the Rowan‐Cabarrus

Community College (RCCC).  Workforce demographic data indicated that Pillowtex

workers were generally older and functioning at a lower level of education than the RCCC’s

student body as a whole.  While it was anticipated that the community college system

would have the capacity to develop and deliver the types of training needed by the of

Pillowtex workers, the large demand for new training options meant that NEG resources

were needed to secure additional space and equipment.

RCCC initially focused on offering basic skills courses to nearly 600 workers, including

English as a Second Language and General Education Development (GED) preparation.  

Another 600 workers enrolled in occupational training, including sixty‐five who completed

nurse’s aide training.  RCCC also utilized NEG funds to develop non‐credit programs that

reflected workers interests and labor market opportunities in such areas as Pharmacy

Technician, Medical Coding and Billing, Medical Unit Secretary, General Construction

Trades, and Customer Service Certification.   
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The advanced planning of the local community transition team also resulted in the creation

of a Community Service Center (CSC), which brought together the services of nine public

and private human services agencies in a church located across the street from the plant.  

The CSC opened four days after the official announcement of the Pillowtex closing.  

Practitioners and planners from North Carolina identified a number of factors that

contributed to the overall success of the CSC, including:

Proximity to reemployment services.  The CSC was located near the plant where a

One‐Stop Career Center satellite operated; thus it was able to ensure a direct,

visible, and convenient link to reemployment support.

Visible community‐wide leadership.  The CSC was operated cooperatively by the

Cabarrus County Department of Social Services (CCDSS) and Cooperative

Christian Ministries.  The CCDSS provided Food Stamps, Medicaid, and other

financial assistance to Pillowtex workers.  Financial assistance was also provided

by Cooperative Christian Ministries, Cabarrus Regional Urban Ministries, and

the Salvation Army.  The Cabarrus Community Development Corporation and

Consumer Credit Counseling offered budget and mortgage counseling, and the

Cabarrus Health Alliance, Piedmont Behavioral Health and North East Medical

Center provided health care services.   

Use of expanded eligibility.  The CCDSS broadened eligibility for federal assistance

programs from 150 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level so as to expand the

reach of these supports.  This expansion helped to provide needed support for

workers enrolled in the training provided by NEG and Trade Adjustment

Assistance (TAA) funds.  

Seamless service delivery.  The CSC coordinated intake and assessment procedures

for multiple programs available to the affected workforce including the services

administered by the CCDSS described above.  A shared intake form was

designed and used for services provided through the NEG, TAA, the community

college, and the CCDSS.  This streamlining not only made the enrollment process

easier for workers, it also allowed program staff to more effectively share

information on participants, services being provided, and potentially unmet

needs.

Service coordination. An integrated service delivery system enabled clients to

seamlessly access multiple services at the CSC site.  Clients completed a single

financial application that was used to determine eligibility for means‐tested

public benefits and other types of financial assistance.  Based on a review of the

financial application, CSC staff followed a protocol to refer Pillowtex workers to

the appropriate services.  Staff maintained an activity log that recorded referral
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information and details about services provided, including the dollar amount of

any funds expended.  Both regular meetings and the co‐location of resources

within the CSC allowed staff to maintain a high level of knowledge and

awareness of available service opportunities and how they would best support

the reemployment needs of NEG participants.

Staff training.  CSC staff received training from representatives of all the partner

agencies as well as church leaders who knew many of the affected population.  

Emphasis was placed on cross‐training staff so that they were well‐versed in

services provided through the TAA and WIA programs.  The training was

facilitated by an Employment Analyst with the North Carolina Employment

Security Commission who had experience in coordinating TAA and WIA

services.  The CSC also utilized staff members who were experienced in either

the TAA or WIA programs to train less experienced personnel.  Cross‐training

was complicated by the fact that the Pillowtex closing occurred as new TAA

regulations were being implemented with some workers eligible under old TAA

provisions and others under the new law.  CSC staff worked closely with the

regional TAA Director to incorporate regulatory changes into the training

content.  Cross‐training ultimately enabled CSC staff and volunteers to gain

insight into both the array of community resources and training opportunities.  

This in turn allowed them to better connect Pillowtex workers with appropriate

services that best supported their personal needs and reemployment plans.

Ongoing communication.  A combination of physical proximity, cross training, and

common commitment fostered an ongoing level of communication that was

essential to the effectiveness of the CSC.  Most notably, this ensured that all

resource options were fully identified and utilized (WIA, TAA, private,

community.

Based on the Pillowtex experience and the success of the CSC, Community Service Delivery

Forums are now routinely utilized by the North Carolina Rapid Response team to help

organize community members and resources in response to large closings.  These forums

typically include representatives from State and local WIA offices, the Department of

Community Colleges, Department of Health and Human Services, Regional United Way

and Goodwill Industries, local city and county officials and staff, economic developers,

chamber of commerce representatives, and faith‐ and community‐based organization

representatives.  Any citizen who expresses interest in participating on the team is also

welcome to attend.  The forums leverage State resources for communities experiencing

major layoffs.  For example, if a community identifies infrastructure concerns, State staff

follow up with a team from the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Community

Assistance Division.  When displaced workers have mortgage problems, the State workforce

staff brings in the North Carolina Finance and Housing Department and implements
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informational seminars on how to obtain mortgage assistance.  In this manner, all resources

are brought to bear in responding to major layoffs.

ECONOMIC TRANSITION TEAMS 

Missouri—Lessons from Ford‐Lear:

When Ford Motor Company

announced in January 2002 that it

would close its Hazelwood assembly

plant near St. Louis as well as other

facilities in the region by mid‐decade,

the immediate reaction was to try to

prevent the closing.  The St. Louis

County Economic Council, an agency

that had proactively coordinated many

regional development initiatives, took

the lead.  The Governor empowered the

group by forming a high‐level task

force that was initially charged with

identifying options for keeping the

plant open.  The task force’s efforts

were also directed at a parallel strategy

to prepare for closing if retention

initiatives were unsuccessful.  

The task force was made up of twenty‐

two members including heads of major

businesses, union leadership, local

economic development leaders, and

elected officials.  The team had a two‐

tiered structure: the highly visible task

force, populated by top civic and

business leaders, and a working group,

comprised of staff from key agencies

and organizations.  Participating

agencies included the State Department

of Economic Development, the City of

Hazelwood, St. Louis County, the St.

Louis Regional Chamber and Growth

Association, and the St. Louis County

Economic Council.  

Lessons from the Field: Missouri’s Advice on 

Economic Transition Teams 

 Form a high-level team of visible civic 

and business leaders with a working 

and leadership structure that allows a 

Project Director to effectively coordinate 

resources and provide direction. 

 Govern by consensus to support the 

integration of resources and obtain 

buy-in. 

 Use the high-level membership for toplevel review, oversight, and policy 

decisions only; use staff for the “nittygritty” work. 

 Formalize a communications plan that 

provides for constant contact with the 

press and the community. Press releases 

should be issued by the top-level task 

force to reinforce that decisions are 

made by that group. 

 Develop a media strategy. Cultivate 

good relations with the media; know 

what the key issues are and how to use 

the media to get the most important 

messages out. 

 Ensure that every person on the top-level 

task force is equally informed and can 

make fully informed decisions. 

 Secure resources such as an economic 

development grant to provide staffing 

for the transition team and to fund 

surveys and other types of economic 

research. 

 Use the crisis as an impetus to get things 

done that might not otherwise be 

possible, for example expanding 

economic development tools or 

rectifying legislative impediments to 

development. 
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To support the economic development mission of the Ford‐Lear transition team, Missouri

applied for and received an Economic Adjustment Grant for $500,000 from the Economic

Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce with matching funds

provided by the affected cities, the county, and the State.  The grant was used to support

staff, conduct impact analyses and research, and identify potential responses.  Three

possible strategies were identified and pursued: a) try to persuade Ford to reverse its

decision, b) find another manufacturer to use the facility and skill base, and c) diversify into

other industries.  

The Missouri task force and working committees operated for about two years.  Over this

timeframe the group had to shift its emphasis as Ford abandoned an initial 2003 decision to

keep the plant open.  Mounting financial pressures over the ensuing two years ultimately

resulted in a final announcement of closing, which eventually took place in 2006.  

Nevertheless, the task force research on diversification did prove to be informative for

economic development planning after the plant closure.

The work of the task force and working group also laid the foundation for the NEG project

that followed.  Since connections had already been made with representatives from the

United Auto Workers and the two companies, it was easier for State workforce development

staff to gather information and begin the needed planning process with union and company

leaders.  Additionally, a great deal of the data collected by the working group was used to

prepare the NEG application and to design services for workers from the two companies.  

The working group requested data from the State labor market information office to help

identify “crossover” skills, that is, competencies that laid off workers could bring to

potential new industries that were targeted as a part of the economic recovery planning.  

The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) analyzed workers’ skills

and prepared crosswalks of skills to targeted occupations.  This innovation has evolved to

be an ongoing, and now online, service for dislocated workers in Missouri.  

REEMPLOYMENT THROUGH NEG PROMISING PRACTICES 

Transition teams, whether primarily focused on the workforce, community, or regional

economy, allow for a more efficient and informed planning process by broadening the

stakeholder base and engaging the expertise and energy of an array of community

resources.  This improves the likelihood of a comprehensive program response that reflects

the far‐reaching ramifications of a major dislocation.  In addition to a more coordinated and

broad‐based planning process, the formation of transition teams improves the likelihood

that the displaced workers are aware and will take advantage of the support network that

can help to ease a stressful transition and expedite their reemployment success.
1

Abt Associates/Workforce Learning Strategies

WORKING DRAFT

PEER CONTACTS 

Maine 

Paul Luce, Veterans’ Program Coordinator 

Maine Department of Labor 

(207) 621-5094 

paul.e.luce@maine.gov

Deb Rountree, Director 

Khatadin Region Higher Education Center 

Eastern Maine Community College 

(207) 746-5741 

dvoisine@maine.edu

Missouri 

Debra Minish, Rapid Response Coordinator 

Division of Workforce Development 

Missouri Department of Economic Development 

(573) 526-8273 

debra.minish@ded.mo.gov

Denny Coleman, President and CEO 

St. Louis County Economic Council 

(314) 615-7664 

SLCECinfo@slcec.com

North Carolina 

Myra Allen Beatty, Workforce Policy Associate 

Special Projects and Community Service 

North Carolina Department of Commerce 

Division of Workforce Development 

(919) 329-5234 

mbeatty@nccommerce.com

Manfred Emmrich, Director, Employment Service 

Employment Security Commission 

(919) 733-7522 x253 

manfred.emmrich@ncmail.net

Oregon 

Karen Humelbaugh, Education and Workforce Systems Director 

Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development 

(503) 378-8648 x226 

karen.humelbaugh@state.or.us

Hewlett-Packard 

Sue McGuire-Thompson, Employment Specialist 

Community Services Consortium 

(541) 928-6335 

smcguire@csc.gen.or.us 

Amalgamated Sugar 

Chad Freeman, Business Development Officer 

Oregon Economic and Community Development Department 

(503) 229-5117 

chad.freeman@state.or.us