Laid off in PA
 

My fiancee, who has been working for a major airline for the past 11 years as a ticketing agent, recently got her lay off papers. Effective January, she's going to be without a job. Understandably, she's extremely upset at this turn of events ( being a single mom, and having to make mortgage payments ), not to mention how the airline is trying to screw its laid-off employees out of their insurance, even though they are eligible for it, as per the terms of their collective agreement.

My fiancee, who hails from western Europe, completed her high school education in her home country, back in the late 80s. However, she apparently needs to get her GED ( I'm not quite sure what that is ) in the US, as her high school education isn't recognised here ( even though her employers recognised it for 11 long years !! ). So, she's faced with a double whammy....loss of job, and the shock of realising that her educational qualification is no good here.

Can anyone suggest what government agencies she needs to get in touch with to try and resolve this issue ? Also, who does she need to get in touch with to apply for state funding for training and education ? Trucking is not something that interests her at all ( even though, back in Europe, her brother, bro-in-law, and dad, are all truckers, as am I, her fiance ). She's more interested in admin / clerical work.

Had she been here in Canada, I could have helped her out much more than I now can, as I know exactly where she needs to go and who she needs to see. But since she lives in the US, I have no idea of how such things work there.

I would be extremely grateful if I can get some information on how to deal with this issue. Thanking you all in advance, if only for having the patience to read through this.

Start here: http://www.state.pa.us/
It has links to all the state agencies that can assist her since US A...... won't. Many in the coming months will be in the same boat around here.
As far GED, it is the equivalent of a HS diploma in the US. Tell her to check with the local Community Collage, they have classes to help people prepare for the test and can tell her were and when the test can be taken.

Thanks bud....much appreciated. It really saddens me how the hard-working middle-class is inexorably getting decimated in the US, leaving in its trail nothing but hardship, misery, bitterness, and the loss of even the basic things in life, like a roof over one's head. What happened to the "American Dream" ? And no, I'm not being sarcastic, or trying to sound like a gloating commie....merely sad and wistful.

GED is a General Equivalency Diploma. It is used for people who did not complete high school and later on took courses in order to gain the same basic education as a high school grad.

Some states require a person to complete a basic GED course before taking the final exam and others will allow a person to take the test and if they score high enough on it award them the diploma.

where is she from? I am from Germany and have a German High School Diploma, which is good enough here in the US. I just had it translated for proof of having it. I went to College here in the US and to University in Germany, so I guess that was enough proof I ever needed.

I know at least where I come from, the schooling is very much different than in the US and Canada too probably, but you have to option of leaving school after 9th of 10th grade, and apprentice in a trade, while still going to a vocational school a couple of days a week. That would not be equivalent to high school here.

High school is continued schooling until grade 13 (in Germany) after which you take your exit exams and with passing earn your diploma.

So, my guess is, she does not have the minimum amount of hours or years of schooling completed in here home country to be considered here in the US as an equivalent of the High School diploma.

Good luck, I hope her situation works out.

Thanks for your response. I have sent you a PM.