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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8211
Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman today announced that
Vermont will receive a $2.7 million Welfare to Work grant to help the
hardest-to-employ welfare recipients acquire the skills, work experience and
resources they need to find and keep good jobs. The Vermont grant is part of
$2.2 billion being awarded to states over a two-year period to fund local
programs to help long-term welfare recipients enter the world of work.
"We are pleased that this strong economy is helping to
dramatically reduce the number of people on welfare," said Herman. "This grant
will fund programs to help Vermont's newest workers overcome the barriers that
would keep them from being successful on the job. It will provide the services
and support networks needed for meaningful work experience and skills
development that will lead to good paying jobs so the workers and their
families can become self-sufficient."
Eighty-five percent of the state grant will go directly to
the Vermont Department of Employment and Training to fund local programs that
will determine the mix of basic services, employment activities and support
efforts to meet the needs of both the welfare recipients and the local labor
market. The funds will make possible such services as:
- classroom and on-the-job occupational training
- creating jobs in community service and private industry
- helping absentee fathers get jobs so they can contribute child
support
- assisting job-seekers with child care, transportation, relocation
and temporary housing, financial and family counseling, and clothing
allowances
The Governor's Office will use the remaining 15 percent of
the grant to provide incentives to participants to complete training and
job-placement goals. He has proposed an incentive schedule which would give
participants small cash awards for such milestones as: completing a vocational
training class; achieving each educational grade level; or working a minimum
number of months in a new job.
Vermont joins Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin in putting
the Administration's Welfare-to-Work initiative into action.
Under the 1997 Budget Reconciliation Act, $2.2 billion is
being allocated by formula over two years to states based on their population
of poor people and the number of adult recipients of Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families. Another $711.5 million is being awarded directly by the
Secretary of Labor on a competitive basis to local communities for projects
that emphasize innovation, collaboration and sustainable strategies to attain
quality employment, earnings and other successful outcomes for welfare
recipients. The grants may be used to fund unsubsidized and subsidized
employment; work experience; on-the-job training and post employment retention
services, such as child care and transportation assistance.
FEDERAL FUNDS TO BE PROVIDED TO STATE:
$2,761,875
STATE MATCH: $1,400,000
Mr. Robert Ware, Director
(802) 828-4000
Vermont
Department of Employment and Training (DET)
5 Green Mountain Drive
Montpelier, VT 05601
# # #
.
The State of Vermont will use its Welfare-to-Work funds to
enhance, supplement and expand the Workforce Education, Employment and
Experience for Vermonters ( WEEEV--one of the State's welfare program models)
and TANF services.
Grant Recipient:
Vermont Department of
Employment and Training (DET)
5 Green Mountain Drive
P.O. Box 488
Montpelier, VT 05601
Contact:
Mr. Robert Ware, Director
(802) 828-4000
Amount of Grant: $ 2, 761,875
Match
Provided: $ 1, 400,000
Total Investment in the State of Vermont:
$4, 161,875
TANF Caseload Numbers:
| Caseload Numbers: |
January 1993 |
March 1998 |
| (26% decrease) |
10,081 |
7,487 |
Recipient Numbers:
(28% decrease) |
28,961 |
20,718 |
Populations Served: TANF recipients
Non-custodial parents
Innovative Services:
Individual Service Strategy: In concert with a
variety of other state agencies, case managers will have intensive on-going
contact with the family and participant. The case manager and participant will
analyze the assessment and then develop a potential Individual Service Plan
(IS) that addresses the identified issues, barriers and activities which will
lead to the participant's stable employment. The case manager and participant
will meet on an on-going basis to measure and revise the IS to better meet the
employment goals as changes occur. Obstacles affecting gainful employment such
as transportation, child care and others will be discussed.
Basic Services and Other Activities:
DET
will coordinate WtW with TANF, JTPA, employment service and training entities
to eliminate duplication in:
Assessments
On the Job Training
Subsidized public
service employment
Subsidized employment (private sector)
Community
Service Employment
Post-Employment Services
Adult Education Services
WTW funds will augment the following: Transportation
Assistance; Dependent Care Services; Relocation/Temporary Shelter; assistance
in securing bonding; financial counseling; classroom training; entrepreneurial
classroom training, work-related clothing, family planning and counseling.
Transportation: The Agency of Transportation was
represented at WTW planning meetings and consultation and coordination will
continue. Transportation brokers are established in each of the twelve
administrative districts to provide transportation assistance on an as needed
basis.
Housing: The State Housing Finance Agency is using
$400,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to partially fund
WTW projects. This is being coordinated by the Department of Social Welfare
(DSW) and DET, the Small Business Development Center, and the State Department
of Economic Development, and will place TANF recipients in unsubsidized
employment opportunities.
Governor Dean will concentrate on incentives for completion
of goals by TANF recipients. An incentive schedule may include the
following:
Completion of assessment-- $25.00
Each educational grade
achievement-- $100.00
Completion of job finding workshop-- $25.00
Obtaining driver's license-- $25.00
Completion of vocational class--
$100.00
Working 60 days on the job for up to 12 months-- $50.00
Vermont is a Single Service Delivery Area (SDA). The funds
may be distributed based on:
Percentage of food-stamp recipients
Number of long-term TANF recipients
Unemployment rate
The Consolidated Council for Employment and Training (CCET)
partnership includes representatives from -Vermont PIC, DSW, DET, Office of
Child Support (OCS), Agency of Transportation (AOT), Office of Alcohol and Drug
Abuse, Commerce and Community Development, Education, the Corrections
Department, the Community College of Vermont, the Office of Economic
Opportunity, and the employer community.
Increasing the number of TANF recipients in unsubsidized
jobs
Increasing the duration of the employment
Achieving increase in
earnings
Attaining long-term self-sufficiency
Northern Community Investment Corporation
Paul
S. Denton, President
P.O. Box 904
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802)
748-5101
The project will prepare and assist participants in
maintaining employment with a privately developed remote-call center to be
located in or near Newport, Vermont. This is a consortium of direct marketing
firms, which will use advanced telecommunication technology to expand training
to low income rural areas in the state. Participants will receive training in
taking orders, processing in-coming/out-going calls and other services.
Partners include: Vermont Department of Social Welfare, the
Vermont Department of Employment and Training, Adult Services Division of North
Country Union High School District, Northern Community Investment Corporation,
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Inc., and various large Vermont direct-marketing
businesses.
Not applicable
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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