Latest news with #SaritaNair
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State awards $750,000 to six organizations to establish pre-apprenticeship programs
May 19—Broadband infrastructure and home energy auditing programs are set to get a boost at Santa Fe Community College thanks to federal funding. Officials with the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, or NMDWS, announced on Thursday that it has awarded $750,000 to six organizations so they can establish and deliver pre-apprenticeship opportunity programs, including the two at SFCC aimed at providing youth with training that could pave the way to well-paying careers in high-demand fields. NewSpace Nexus, Northern New Mexico College, Associated General Contractors of New Mexico, Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. NM Chapter, SFCC and STEM Boomerang LLC are the six organizations sharing a slice of the funding, officials said. The programs will provide students with hands-on training, instruction, mentorship and access to registered apprenticeship programs. The awardees will launch and expand pre-apprenticeship programs in the fields of semiconductor manufacturing, carpentry, construction, broadband, clean energy and high-performance computing. A driving goal of the programs, which will be implemented by the awarded organizations within a year, is to make New Mexico youth aware of potential career paths available in the state, said NMDWS Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair in a statement. "Pre-apprenticeship has become one of our most successful initiatives, with over 700 participants coming through the program in two years," Nair said. The awards are being funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the "SAEF2" grant and administered by the NMDWS's "Building, Energizing, and Connecting through Apprenticeships," or BECA, program. "Pre-apprenticeship programs play a vital role in strengthening New Mexico's workforce pipeline," Carla Kugler, president and CEO of ABC New Mexico, said in a statement. "By investing in these initiatives, we're building a stronger, more inclusive workforce that meets the needs of our state's growing economy."
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State implements identity verification for new unemployment claimants
Feb. 25—New Mexico residents filing for unemployment benefits must now verify their identity. That's according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, which announced the change Tuesday. The department in a news release said the change applies to people filing online and in person. "We are committed to strengthening the integrity of our unemployment insurance system while also increasing options for the public," Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair said in a statement. She said the change will "particularly benefit rural communities." Residents applying for unemployment benefits can do so online using the department said in a news release. Those who want to verify their identity in person can head to the more than two dozen America's Job Center New Mexico locations and participating U.S. Postal Service offices. The department said all new unemployment claimants must verify their identities within 10 days of submitting claims. If verifying in person at a postal office, residents can bring a state-issued driver's license, a state-issued ID card, a U.S. armed forces ID card, or a U.S. passport — the latter two of which require a secondary ID. If applying in person at a local America's Job Center, a Social Security card, past year's W-2 tax form with a full Social Security number, or paycheck stubs with the last four digits of the Social Security number must be submitted alongside either a birth certificate, state-issued driver's license, state-issued ID card, passports and passport card, tribal identification or military ID. New Mexico is the seventh state to offer multiple identity verification options and the 22nd to utilize the postal service — a collaboration between the USPS and the U.S. Department of Labor. The news comes as Nair and state Economic Development Secretary-designate Rob Black held a Monday news conference to discuss options for laid-off federal workers in New Mexico. Nair told reporters about 140 federal workers have so far filed for unemployment claims, with another 2,200 workers on their probationary period — the latter a target for the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency to cut costs.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
KRQE Newsfeed: Fired workers, State budget, Warm to cooler, Emergency training, Creative Bravos
Are There ICE Raids Happening In New Mexico? BernCo issues hundreds of citations on road with new speed camera Thief returns stolen crystal to the store it was taken from in Albuquerque APD: 53 arrested during first week of Central Ave. crime operation New program aims to encourage young voices for the cattle industry in NM Officials say holiday banners along Central Ave. in ABQ are being taken down Big Bend National Park home to newly discovered plant species [1] New Mexico leaders say they will help workers affected by federal layoffs – The Workforce Solutions Department says around 140 unemployment claims this month have come from federal workers. The department says its hard for them to know how many total workers have been let go, since some have not filed for unemployment. Most claims so far have come from Albuquerque, followed by Carlsbad, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho and Las Cruces. Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair says they have a team dedicated to federal unemployment claims and is prepared to ramp up efforts if more workers lose their jobs. [2] House Dem's unveil nearly $11 billion budget – With less than a month left of the legislative session, work to complete the state's budge is speeding up. The proposed $10.8 billion spending plan cleared the House floor and will head to a Senate committee. It includes money for law enforcement recruitment and retention, transitional housing and pay raises for teachers and school staff. [3] Spring-like weather in short team before storm system arrives – Near-record to record high temperatures will occur today with sunny skies for most of the day except for sporadic rain showers in the northern mountains. Patchy dust in the lowlands with the elevated to critical fire threat will be accompanied with the next cooldown with sporadic rain and wet snow activity mostly in the higher terrain tomorrow, but conditions will dry out quickly while warming again later this week before the next stronger storm system set to arrive later this weekend. [4] Kirtland Air Force Base using technology to train emergency services – Kirtland Air Force Base is giving a closer look into how its Fire Emergency Services team prepares for real world situations. The base says its first responders use a virtual reality simulator. This gives firefighters realistic and immersive fire suppression training in high risk environments without exposing them to danger. [5] City of Albuquerque selects 2025 Creative Bravos Awards recipients – The City of Albuquerque has chosen the nine recipients for the 2025 Creative Bravos Awards. The annual event looks to highlights individual artists, organizations, businesses and collectives that contributed to the city's creative economy. The awards ceremony will be held March 22, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Albuquerque Museum. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Workforce Solutions says federal guidance, challenges led to overpayments
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions has suspended efforts to collect unemployment overpayments received during the pandemic. This is following a series of administrative errors. The department says they experienced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, going from processing between $100-125 million in claims a year to over $1 billion. But what ultimately led to the oversight was shifting federal guidance. Millions in relief expected following lawsuit against NM Dept. of Workforce Solutions 'They would get new information from the federal government saying, 'Actually, this is how you administer the program,' or, 'This is how these two programs interact,' and then they would have to go back and recalculate payments,' says the Department of Workforce Solutions secretary Sarita Nair. Last month, a settlement was reached to resolve any claims related to overpaid pandemic unemployment benefits. This settlement will forgive 100% of CARES Act overpayments to those who qualify. It will also provide automatic waivers, individualized waiver applications, and refunds to those who were charged with overpayments. 'We have waived over $100 million of overpayments. So, it was a significant issue. Some folks didn't even know that they ever had an overpayment. And that's what we've been able to just take care of,' says Nair. Over $22 million in refunds and waivers have been issued to New Mexico workers so far. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
