Transitional Jobs and TANF Helping states meet work participation requirements and helping TANF reci

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Transitional Jobs and TANFHelping states meet
work participation requirementsand helping TANF
recipients succeed in work

www.transitionaljobs.net
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Overview of TANF Changes
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TANF the changed rules

• Under DRA and new HHS regulations, the TANF
  program is much more prescriptive
• States are under pressure to reduce caseload and
  meet participation rates as opposed to focusing
  on best outcomes for participants
• As of October 1, 2006, 50 of TANF single adults
  must be working or meeting work requirements.
• If child under age 6, the adult participation
  20 hrs/wk.
• If all children are 6, adult participation 30
  hrs/wk

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New TANF program Final Rules

• Issued in February, 2008
• Took effect October 1, 2008
• States must revise Work Verification Plans to
  take advantage of new flexibility

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State challenges in meeting work requirements

• Many TANF adults are unprepared to succeed in the
  workplace.
• States need to employ proven strategies to
  address barriers to work and help people become
  and stay employed.
• States need to connect people with meaningful
  activity that counts toward federal requirements.
• States must invest wisely to avoid penalty and
  maximize outcomes.

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What activity counts? Participation in the
following core activities is countable for the
average of 20 or 30 hours weekly
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Overview of Transitional Jobs
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Transitional Jobs are a high impact way to meet
work requirements

• Transitional jobs is proven workforce solution to
  help a state meet TANF requirements while
  providing hard-to-employ TANF parents with
  experiential development from time limited, wage
  paying, real work combined with supportive
  services and skill development to successfully
  transition participants into the labor market.

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Transitional Jobs are a high impact way to meet
work requirements, cont.

• Regulations make subsidized employment an
  attractive option for states because states are
  allowed to project hours of participation
• All elements of TJ programs fit into HHS
  definitions of work activities, however it will
  most likely be more burdensome to report on
  activities in TJ programs that are unpaid

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Scale of Transitional Jobs in the U.S.

• Today, Transitional Jobs programs serve all
  people with barriers to employment TANF
  recipients, people with criminal records, youth,
  people experiencing homelessness, public housing
  residents, veterans refugees.
• There are programs in over 30 states
• We have over 3000 constituents across the U.S.
  operating programs, advocating for programs and
  funding programs

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Types of TJ Programs

• Scattered Site Participants work in for-profit,
  non-profit or government sites with 1-2 workers
  per site. (Examples Heartland Human Care
  Services, TWC, GA Goodworks and WA Community
  Jobs)
• Work Crew Crews of 5-7 people work on a project
  often within maintenance, janitorial, parks, and
  community renewal projects. (Examples CEO, Roca,
  Doe Fund)
• Social Enterprise Participants work as an
  employee of the product or service revenue
  generating arm of an organization. (Examples
  Sweet Beginnings, Circle Catering, Goodwill)

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Transitional Jobs Program Elements

• Orientation Assessment
• Job Readiness/Life Skills Classes
• Case Management Support
• Transitional Job - Real Work Experience
• Unsubsidized Job Placement Retention
• Linkages to Education and Training

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Transitional Jobs Program ElementsTransitional
Job

• Goal is to provide real work experience
• supported with wages
• Lasts 3-9 months (typically 3-4 months)
• Work 20-35 hours per week
• Wage is usually state or Federal minimum wage
• There is weekly review of job performance
• Support to manage barriers

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Snapshot of General TJ Program Staff

• Case Management Team Intake/Assessment,
  Counseling, Referral Services
• Job Development Team Job Coach, Job Developer,
  Crew Supervisor
• Job/Life Skills Trainers
• Retention Specialist
• Education/Training Specialist

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How TJ Works for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients
Reinforces soft skills to increase job retention
Builds confidence with success for paid work
Coordinates linkages to community supports (e.g.
child care)
Transitional Jobs
Pays wages, Social Security, income taxes and
makes eligible for EITC
Strengthens job placement with an employer
reference
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Budgeting for Transitional Jobs programs

• Program costs range from 6-10,000 reflecting
• Wages for TJ experience (Min. wage x 30
  hours)x(targeted weeks, typically 12-24 weeks),
• Staff costs (salary, fringe, office rent,
  transportation, phones, computers) for TJ site
  development, case management, job readiness
  training and placement, retention services,
• Supportive services (transportation, tools, work
  clothes, counseling, financial literacy, GED),
  and
• Any incentive payments (retention, TJ worksite
  mentor)

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Funding options

• Potential TANF funding an initial TANF and MOE
  investment, equal to the size of the potential
  sanction, to support TJ, job search, and an
  earned income disregard.
• Future year returns will be from
• Averted sanctions to the State,
• Savings from caseload reductions,
• New income taxes paid by workers, and
• Stronger families and communities (e.g. reduced
  homeless families).

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Leveraging Funding for TANF TJ

• Other sources
• CDBG
• CSBG
• HOPE VI
• WIA
• Perkins
• McKinney

• State General Revenue
• FSET
• Foundations
• Local Government Revenue

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State example Washington

• Washington State- Statewide Community Jobs (CJ)
  Program
• Administered by the Department of Community,
  Trade and Economic Development
• 35 contracted CJ projects with community
  providers in counties across the state
• Over 13,000 TANF recipients served through CJ
  program since 1999.

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Washington TJ success

• Community Jobs Program Moves People from Welfare
  to a Career Track
• 72 of CJ participants found jobs
• Average income of post-CJ workers increased 60
  during first two weeks in workforce
• Participants post-program income was 148 higher
  than their pre-CJ income.

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How Transitional Jobs Help States Meet Work
Requirements
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Counting TJ under the Final TANF Rules

• TJ programs typically blend paid work with
  barrier removal and skill building activities,
  but dominant activity is the subsidized job
• The work component of TJ programs can count as
  subsidized employment, or on the job training
  which are both core activities and count towards
  all required hours of participation

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Counting TJ under the Final TANF Rules, Cont.

• Under the new regulations, components of a
  transitional jobs program other than work can
  only be counted as subsidized employment if all
  hours of activity are paid
• Many TJ programs will not be able to pay for
  participants during all hours of participation,
  and activities beyond subsidized employment will
  have to be counted as another type of activity
• Unpaid activities must be tracked separately and
  counted as other activities

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Counting Barrier Removal Activities and Skill
Building Activities

• Barrier removal activities will likely be counted
  as job search/job readiness
• Skill building components will likely be counted
  as one of the work activities related to
  education
• Vocational Educational Training
• Job skills training directly related to
  employment
• Education directly related to employment
• Satisfactory attendance at secondary school or in
  a course of study leading to a GED

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Counting Activities, Continued

• There are no limitations on subsidized employment
  or OJT (both core activities)
• Job Search/Job Readiness and Vocational Education
  both subject to time limits (both core
  activities)
• Other educational activities are all non-core
  activities, so will only count after the first 20
  hours of participation

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Counting Job Search and Job Readiness Activities

• Job search/job readiness defined as
• seeking or obtaining employment
• preparation to seek employment (including life
  skills training, substance abuse treatment,
  mental health treatment, or rehabilitation
  activities)
• Activities must be supervised daily, although
  supervision does not have to be in person

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Counting Job Search and Job Readiness Activities,
Continued

• Limited to 4 consecutive weeks and 6 weeks within
  a year (12 weeks for needy states)
• For the 6 or 12 week limit, weeks of
  participation calculated in hours
• Limits on job search/job readiness apply to what
  a state can COUNT, not to what a state can do

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Counting Voc Ed, ESL and ABE Activities

• Vocational Educational Training limited to 12
  months in a recipients lifetime
• Basic skills education and ESL may count as
  vocational educational training as long as they
  are a necessary or regular part of the vocational
  educational training
• Stand alone ESL or Basic Skills Education should
  be counted as education directly related to
  employment or job skills training directly
  related to employment

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National Transitional Jobs Network (NTJN) Role
Services

• The NTJN exists to influence audiences to ensure
  that policies account for the hard-to-employ,
  that the public understands the need to invest in
  these services, that programs are able to
  effectively serve as many individuals as
  possible, and that best practices and technical
  assistance are widely shared and implemented
  throughout the network.
• Technical Assistance
• State and Federal Advocacy
• Monthly Newsletters
• National Conference

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For more information
The NTJN is made possible through the support of
The Joyce Foundation, The Annie E. Casey
Foundation, The Mott Foundation and Network
members. Heartland Alliance in Chicago, IL
has hosted the NTJN since 2003.

• Amy Rynell
• Director
• Arynell_at_heartlandalliance.org
• Melissa Young
• Coordinator
• Myoung_at_heartlandalliance.org
• 773.336.6086