CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch announced today that the state has assisted Wausau Paper in applying for Trade Adjustment Assistance to help workers who will be laid off from the company’s Groveton mill at the end of the year. The U.S. Department of Labor must approve the petition.

“I know how difficult the mill’s closing is for the workers, their families and the entire region. New Hampshire state government is committed to doing everything possible to assist workers, their families and the community. Trade Adjustment Assistance would provide critical aid to workers to help them get back to work quickly,” Gov. Lynch said. “Our state Rapid Response team is already working to provide assistance, and supporting this application for federal aid is an important part of that effort.”

Gov. Lynch will meet with workers in Groveton tomorrow.

Last week, the Wisconsin-based company announced plans to close the Groveton mill, impacting over 300 workers. The state’s Rapid Response team has been meeting with company management and employees to determine what their needs and how best to help them find new jobs. Assistance can include resume writing, job counseling, and job retraining. Agencies working with the response include representatives of the state departments of Employment Security, Labor, Resources and Economic Development, Health and Human Services, the New Hampshire Community College System, NHWorks and community action programs.

Trade Adjustment Assistance is designed to help workers who lose their jobs because of increased imports, or shifts in production to foreign countries. The program provides eligible workers with career counseling, training, income support during training, job search assistance, access to a health coverage tax credits and relocation allowances.

A petition for assistance was sent to the U.S. Department of Labor on Friday by the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security. Generally, it takes 45 days to determine whether eligibility requirements have been met.

The state Division of Economic Development’s Business Recruitment Team is preparing a plan to attract a new company to the Wausau site. The division has also been actively engaged in trying to recruit new businesses to the North Country.