Obama administration officials said a proposal to consolidate two existing job training and placement programs would help hundreds of thousands of people get training they need to find work.

The plan would combine the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which provides training and aid to workers who lost their jobs because of foreign competition, and the Workforce Investment Act Dislocated Worker program, which offers some benefits to those who lose their jobs for other reasons.

The proposal, called the Universal Displaced Worker Program, would assist as many as one million workers with counseling and job searches.