JOB PROGRAM'S GOALS TWOFOLD; DISPLACED WORKERS TO RESTORE STORM-DAMAGED AREAS.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

The harsh El Nino-powered storms that ripped through Ventura County in February not only caused more than $50 million in damage to homes, roadways and businesses, but washed away the livelihoods of hundreds of workers.

To help get these workers through tough times, Ventura County's Workforce Development Division has applied for $750,000 in federal money that will be spent to give them temporary jobs restoring damaged roadways, bridges and other public property. The program is scheduled to begin next week.

``The idea is to assist those individuals who are now unemployed through no fault of their own while at the same time getting the public infrastructure repaired in a timely fashion,'' said Tom Nikirk, regional manager for the division.

Last month, President Clinton pledged $25 million in emergency grants to California, with $18 million earmarked for assisting displaced workers. Ventura is among 35 counties that will receive money to provide financial assistance and employment services to residents who lost their jobs because of the storms, as well as temporary programs matching jobless workers to public works projects.

Eligible residents will be matched to public works positions in storm-ravaged communities including Ojai and Ventura for up to six months and can earn up to $12,000.

``A lot of the work we'll be matching people up with will be public works-type jobs. We've had a lot of damage to the county's shoreline and flood channels,'' said Philip Bohan, planning manger with the Workforce Development Division based in Oxnard. He added that some clerical positions also will be available.

On Monday, the California Employment Development Department reported that the county's employment opportunities and overall economy grew stronger last year, with January figures showing about 11,200 additional jobs available over January 1997 and unemployment figures dropping to 6.3 percent this year.

As the recession shook virtually all the county's top industries, unemployment hovered above 8 percent for much of the past eight years with that figure reaching 10.1 percent in January 1993. That figure has slowly dropped each January, with last year's figure at 7 percent.

``Overall, the county's economy has grown healthier,'' said Dee Johnson, labor analyst for the CEDD who released employment figures for Ventura County this week. Goods produced in the county grew by 6.1 percent from last January; service producing grew by 4.4 percent. Even agricultural production and services grew slightly.

Johnson added, however, that seasonal disasters like the series of storms that hit in February affect agricultural, construction and other industries of the highest priority in the county and can bump up unemployment figures.

``Actually, we had a lot more activity in agriculture in January before the rains hit. It appears growers were trying to harvest the crops or get the ground ready before the rain came,'' said Johnson. ``Now what will happen to February figures is hard to know at this point.''

Workers displaced by the recent storms will have first priority at positions; long-term unemployed residents also are eligible to apply.

Following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, about 200 residents in the county participated in a similar program that secured more than $1.5 million in federal funds. The following year, the county's temporary employment restoration program put more than 350 people to work with more than $2 million in federal funding.

For more information on the temporary jobs program, call [phone] or drop by the California Employment Development Division office at 635 S. Ventura Road, Oxnard, or 980 Enchanted Way, Simi Valley.