The U.S. House of Representatives agreed to an amendment last week sponsored by Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, D-Columbus, that could provide a boost to laid-off workers seeking scholarships for retraining at schools such as Columbus State Community College.

The amendment, agreed to by both Democrats and Republicans and folded into an education measure, would give community colleges that already offer programs for laid-off workers a better chance at winning federal education grants.

Aides to Kilroy cited a program at Columbus State where school officials provide a scholarship worth as much as $3,500 to students who are 25 or older and do not have a college degree. The scholarships allow the students to train for a new career. Kilroy's aides pointed to a 35-year-old Mansfield man who took a buyout from General Motors, enrolled at Columbus State and learned how to become a chef for a restaurant.

"It is time we come together to address this issue of the unemployed in our country," Kilroy said during the floor debate. "This amendment is about them. It's about getting them the education, the jobs and the training that will help them."