Losing a job in this economy is scary enough when you think about the potential financial ramifications. But it can be even scarier not knowing whether your skills are what employers are looking for these days. Luckily, there are several sources of free programs that can possibly help you expand your talents and become a more attractive candidate to hire.

Community colleges
Because of specific federal grants over the past few years, community colleges have become a tremendous resource for job-related skill enhancement. Contact your local school to see what they currently offer.

One-Stop Career Centers
Not only does this federally-funded program provide many free classes, but they also have help with gathering information on funding you can receive to take fee-based classes.

Trade Adjustment Assistance
Designed specifically for those in the manufacturing, farming or production sectors who have lost their job to overseas competition, this federal program offers not only up to two years of paid job training, but it also can make weekly cash payments for a year after your unemployment has ended.

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
In addition to providing several other benefits for victims of mass layoffs, the WARN Act has provisions in place for training those who have lost their job in large cutbacks.

Other federal programs
When you’re building your list of job training bookmarks, make sure www.benefits.gov is near the top of your list. With a lot of federal funding emphasis on education for the unemployed, it would be silly to not stay up-to-date on the latest programs.

Local government
Look up on the internet your city, county and state government offices that deal with employment matters and contact them to ask how to access free training in your area.

Military
Free job training programs for veterans in a variety of fields have been popping up with regularity in recent years. The Department of Veteran Affairs is the place to start if you have served your country and are looking for work.

Goodwill
Money from purchases at the store doesn’t just go to paying the employees. It also helps pay for training the general public in some of this economy’s fastest growing fields.

AARP
Two programs, the AARP Foundation Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) and the Training Assistance Program (TAP), aim to offer both instruction and job experience. The age minimums are 55 and 40, respectively.

Apprenticeships
The federal Labor Department’s website, www.dol.gov, lists apprenticeship programs across the country that can help you learn a skill while you are picking up a paycheck.

Volunteering
Donating your time to a non-profit organization can be a tremendous way to do something you feel good about, pick up new skills, and network like crazy.