WATCH: Davids Releases New Job Seekers Guide for Former Yellow Employees

Today, Representative Sharice Davids released a Job Seekers Guide to help former Yellow Corporation (Yellow Corp.) employees, who were laid off earlier this month, support themselves and their families while searching for new employment. The guide includes federal, state, and local resources to apply for emergency unemployment insurance, find new career opportunities, and lower costs on everyday necessities. While releasing the guide during a press conference at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), Davids also promoted an upcoming job fair at JCCC on September 7^th.

“On top of already high costs for everyday goods, nearly 1,000 former Yellow employees in the Kansas City area must now find a new way to support their families after being laid off a month ago,” said Davids. “I’m working to support these folks and ensure they can find new career opportunities. I am hopeful my office’s new Job Seekers Guide will be a useful tool that compiles federal, state, and local resources in one place to help folks get back on their feet.”

Davids’ Job Seekers Guide contains many resources former Yellow Corp. employees, as well as other Kansans looking for work, can utilize during the transition from one job to another. The resources include:

1. Finding New Employment: Kansans looking for a new or higher-paying job can utilize local resources from Workforce Partnership or Kansas’ Job Hiring Portal. Federal programs through the U.S. Department of Labor, including Career One Stop and USAJobs, are also available.
2. Lowering Costs: Kansans struggling to pay for necessities while looking for a new job can find help lowering the cost of housing, utility bills, gas, and groceries.
3. Helping Transition Between Jobs: Kansans who lose access to health insurance can find resources to apply for affordable health coverage, as well as information on emergency unemployment insurance.
4. Starting a Business: Kansans looking to start their own business can find help through the Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Johnson County Community College and the Kansas City Women's Business Center.

“As the local workforce development board, Workforce Partnership is uniquely suited to serve every Overland Park Yellow employee laid off from work with an array of services, regardless of the employee’s salary or county of residence,” said Keely J. Schneider, Executive Director, Workforce Partnership. “Affected employees can receive job search and resume assistance, as well as help brushing up on their interview skills, as well as more intensive services if needed, such as career navigation and funding to re-train or upskill into a new career. These dislocated worker services are made possible by the federal government’s investment in our local workforce system and we deeply appreciate Representative Davids’ commitment to that investment and her support of our nation’s workforce needs.”

“Johnson County Community College Workforce Development & Continuing Education offers multiple resources to support job seekers, through our Small Business Development Center, which offers business startup and growth classes to equip individuals with the tools and resources to structure, launch and manage a business,” said Jessica Johnson, Regional Director, Small Business Development Center. “JCCC also offers Continuing Education Training Awards to provide funding for training and skill building for unemployed or underemployed Johnson County residents. JCCC has partnered with Workforce Partnership and the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce to host a Yellow Re-Employment Job Fair on September 7th. We appreciate the opportunity to make these resources aware to the public and Representative Sharice Davids efforts continuing to highlight workforce needs with in the county.”

Yellow Corp., a former transportation and trucking company, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month and laid off 30,000 employees across the nation, including 990 workers at their Overland Park office. For 98 years, the company’s headquarters was located in Overland Park. Now, the Kansans who worked at Yellow Corp. unexpectedly must find new career opportunities to continue supporting their families.

While our economy is seeing record numbers of good-paying job creation, Davids has been squarely focused on boosting workforce opportunities for Kansans, including form Yellow Corp. employees. She was the only member of Kansas’ congressional delegation to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is creating good-paying construction jobs at home. Davids also voted for major bipartisan manufacturing legislation last year, which has already generated over 100,000 jobs nationwide. Finally,  Davids previously announced Kansas’ Third Congressional District has created more clean energy jobs than any other congressional district in the country over the past year.

Davids also encourages all Kansans to visit her Lower Costs webpage to find resources within the newly released guide and many more that can help Kansas families.