The setbacks keep coming since Research in Motion announced more than 2,000 layoffs late last month, but some of those jettisoned employees are getting a helping hand from the Ontario government.

The province committed $100,000 on Friday to assist former RIM workers in Waterloo, Ont., recover from the layoffs handed out from what was once Canada's fastest-growing tech company.

The money will be given to Communitech, a non-profit organization that supports tech companies, to help former RIM employees find new jobs or re-train in a new field.

John Milloy, Ontario's minister of training, colleges and universities, said there is hope that some of the laid off employees will be able to find work elsewhere in the Waterloo region's high-tech industry.

An information session was held in Waterloo on Friday to make the former employees aware of what their options are.

Apple appeared ready to take advantage of RIM's struggles, opening a new Apple Store in Waterloo on Friday, only a 10 minute drive from the company's head office.

RIM has seen a series of further setbacks since announcing the layoffs on July 25, including a further dip in its stock price and challenges marketing its new tablet device.

U.S. carrier Sprint said on Friday that it had dropped its plans to carry the new version of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, according to several reports.

Sprint will continue to provide service for the BlackBerry's current Wi-Fi tablet, but will not carry the high-speed, cellular-equipped version of the PlayBook, which is due out this fall.

RIM has faced stiff competition in the last couple of years in the smartphone market, particularly from Apple with its immensely popular iPhone and Google with its Android mobile operating system.

With files from CTV Southwestern Ontario and The Canadian Press