Opportunity.gov

Opportunity.gov is a website built by the Obama administration to help Americans find government assistance during the economic downturn. Displaced workers can go to www.opportunity.gov to learn more about job retraining options available to them. The website helps people apply for federal grants to get funds for retraining while not losing their unemployment benefits. It can help people who are currently getting unemployment benefits, get financial aid to return to school for retraining and still keep those benefits. The set of programs is intended to encourage retraining for unemployed people. The government would pay for some or all of the retraining, retooling the employment insurance system, to help educational opportunities get ahead.

The Labor Department, with backing by the Obama Administration, has asked all States to make exceptions during economic downturns so that people who are unemployed have the ability keep their benefits if they decide go to community college or pursue other education or training. It is the State governments, not Washington, who decide what people are eligible for unemployment, and they usually require anyone collecting assistance to be actively looking for work.

The Education Department plays a big role in this as well. It has encouraged universities to factor in the financial situation of unemployed students when applying for Pell Grants or other education and job training aid. Since July 2009, the maximum Pell Grant, which helps low-income students afford college, will grant $5,350, up from $500. This can be a huge help to unemployed people who are looking to go back to school and get additional and re-training.

Jill Biden, the wife of vice president Joe Biden, has also played a huge role in opportunity.gov. She has always promoted community colleges, stating that they are Americans greatest hidden treasure. Community Colleges and opportunity.gov go hand in hand. Together the two can provide people with affordable schooling/retraining while unemployed. In the United States there are almost 1,200 community colleges among our 4,100 public and private institutions of higher education. Altogether, community colleges serve 11.5 million students.