The final shutdown of the Hovensa facility will affect about 170 employees for the company and its contractors, and the Department of Labor is working to provide services to them.
In a statement released Monday, Labor Commissioner-designee Catherine Hendry said some employees will continue to work inside the refinery while others will need to seek services.
The federally funded dislocated worker program under the V.I. Department of Labor is available to ensure that workers are able to get the necessary services required to ‘reconnect’ with the workforce, Hendry said. The department has already taken the necessary steps to ensure that funds are available to assist each dislocated worker in need of assistance, she said.
Through the program, workers who have lost jobs are eligible to receive an array of free services designed to assist fast-track their chances for "rapid reemployment." These include employment and career counseling, resume preparation, skill assessments, job search placement and financial planning, Hendry said.
Services are available at the America Job Center locations in both districts. Hendry encouraged Hovensa employees affected by the recent terminations to visit the Job Center at 4401 Sion Farm on St. Croix.
"Each center is staffed with specialists who will work with each customer to determine your individual reemployment needs," Hendry said. "I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to ‘Let labor work for you.’"