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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

ETA Press Release: Vice President Al Gore and Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman Announce Oregon to Share in $2.2 Billion for Welfare to Work Grants [07/21/1998]

Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman today announced that Oregon has been approved for a Welfare to Work grant totaling $8.6 million to help the hardest- to-employ welfare recipients to find and keep good jobs. These grants are part of the $2.2 billion available for state grants to help local communities transform the lives of long-term welfare recipients.

“While we have made significant strides in moving people from welfare to work, we must not forget that there are still many who need our help,” Vice President Gore said. “We

need to ensure that Oregon’s hardest to place, long-term welfare recipients receive the individualized help the need to get and keep good jobs.”

“This grant will help move people from dependency to self- sufficiency,” said Herman. “With this money, Oregon’s newest workers will be able to overcome obstacles that would keep them from being successful in a job. It will help them gain work experience and get the support services that will enable them to keep good jobs and move further up the career ladder.

Oregon joins Alabama, Arkansas , Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, 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 adult recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Another $711.5 million is being awarded on a competitive basis directly by the Secretary of Labor to local communities for projects that emphasize innovation, collaboration and sustainable strategies to attain quality employment, earnings and other successful outcomes for welfare recipients.

Oregon is receiving a grant because its plan has been approved by the department, enabling the Secretary of Labor to disburse its welfare-to-work formula funds. Eighty-five percent of the funds will be sent to Private Industry Councils that will design and operate collaborative, integrated programs tailored to meet local labor market needs.

The grants will be used to provide a combination of employment activities and services that best fit a community’s needs, such as assessments; on-the-job-training; sheltered/supported work; voluntary work experience; work supplementation; job search services; life skills training; job retention; welfare prevention and support services. Oregon’s welfare to work efforts will use the work place as the most effective environment to train hard and soft skills to new workers, and includes coordinated transportation, housing and case management services.

Editor’s Note: The grant amount and state contact listed for Oregon follow:

FEDERAL FUNDS TO BE PROVIDED TO STATE: $8,636,930

STATE MATCH: $4,554,500

STATE AGENCY TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM:

Adult & Family Services
500 Summer Street, NE
Salem, Oregon 97310
Contact: Mr. Michael Buckley
(503) 945-6127

OREGON

The State of Oregon will use its Welfare-to-Work funds to enhance, supplement, and expand Oregon’s JOBS program (State Welfare program) and TANF services.

TANF Caseload Numbers:

Populations Served:

• TANF recipients
• Non-Custodial parents
• Two parent families who have several barriers to long-term employment.

Innovative Services:

JOBS Plus. Under the JOBS Plus program, the labor market is the instrument used to determine employability of the hardest-to-place participants. Also, JOBS Plus recognizes the work place as the most effective environment to train hard and soft skills to program participants.

Case Management. Oregon has designed a comprehensive case management system to provide program participants with high quality, service-oriented services. The services are grounded in the promotion of self sufficiency through a variety of career focused and self motivation principles.

Basic Services and Other Activities:

State and local partners will use a combination of employment activities and services that best fit the community’s needs.

• Assessments
• On-the-Job Training
• Sheltered/Supported Work
• Voluntary Work Experience
• Work supplementation
• Job search services
• Life skills training
• Job retention
• Welfare prevention
• Support Services (transportation, substance abuse and child care)

Emphasis on Supportive Services:

Transportation. Oregon’s Department of Transportation and local transportation providers have begun a Transportation Policy and Coordination Project in cooperation with Adult and Family Services (AFS). The primary goal is to include local housing agencies to establish better cooperative relationships among state agencies that incorporate transportation into their WtW efforts.

Housing. The State’s JOBS planning committee will incorporate local housing agencies to better coordinate WtW activities. The primary focus of the coordination with housing agencies has been to ease the transition from Welfare-to-Work.

Governor’s 15%:

Governor Kitzhaber will retain 5% of the funds for systems, oversight and other costs. The remaining funds will be used to augment the 85% funds allocated to the PICs/RWDBs.

Distribution of Funds of Localities:

• 50 % based on poverty level
• 50 % based on the number of adults receiving TANF assistance

State Coordination:

Partners include the Job Training Partnership Act Program (JTPA), Adult and Family Services (AFS), the Governor’s Workforce Policy Cabinet, Employment Department, Community Colleges, K-12 schools, child care providers, local housing agencies, disability service agencies, and mental health providers.

Measures of success:

• Achieving successful placements in unsubsidized employment
• Increasing wage earnings one year
• Achieving reductions in TANF caseloads

Oregon’s Competitive Grants:

National Association of Private Industry Councils

Robert Knight, President
1201 New York Ave. NW Suite 350
Washington, DC 20005
202-298-2950

The National Association of Private Industry Councils will conduct post employment occupational and basic skills training using state-of-the-art interactive computer technology to service more than 2,200 TANF recipients’ family units. Local partnerships will work with employers in nine states to upgrade entry level skills, promote continuous learning and assist participants progress in their jobs. Through a multimedia, contextual-based learning program, participants will receive one hour training on their work-site. Community colleges will be accountable for tracking daily participant progress and provide personalized assistance. Furthermore, this project will allow participants to understand the benefits of post-secondary education and may serve as a model demonstration project. The American Association of Community Colleges will assist with the program’s development and delivery.

IAM CARES, MD (International Association of Machinists)

Center for Administering Rehabilitation and Employment Services
Angela Traiforos, President
9000 Machinists Place
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
301-967-4717

IAM CARES will provide intensive case management and transitional employment support to TANF recipients, individuals with the greatest barriers to self-sufficiency, noncustodial parents, public housing residents and individuals with learning disabilities and/or serious health problems. Through individualized intervention projects, IAMS CARES will provide their clients with: Pre apprenticeship and other employer sponsored vocational skills training, personal effectiveness training, union employment networking programs and long-term follow-up services, with a focus on consistent individualized instruction.

IAMS CARES will work with local WtW and TANF offices, public and private sector community service providers, unions and employers.

Substate Allocations:

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.