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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.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 Colorado Share of $2.2 Billion in Welfare to Work Grants [07/27/1998]

For more information call: (202) 219-8211

Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman today announced that Colorado will receive a $9.8 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 Colorado 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.

"The robust American economy continues to surpass our high expectations, and welfare caseloads have dropped by 5.2 million since the beginning of this Administration, but people remaining on welfare with multiple barriers to employment need our help," Vice President Gore said. "These funds will specifically help Colorado's long-term welfare recipients gain needed work experience and upgraded skills so they and their families can escape dependency and embark on the road to economic self-sufficiency."

"It takes responsibility and determination to get a job," said Herman. "But we want to also make sure that when long-term welfare recipients get jobs, they can keep them. These grants will help do that. Colorado's newest workers will be provided with support services that will move them into good paying jobs. For workers just starting out, the help this money will provide, can mean the difference between success and failure."

Eighty-five percent of the Colorado grant will go directly to local programs that provide a wide range of support services including:

• career counseling, skills training, job placement and on-the-job training
• addressing transportation needs caused by reverse commutes, rural and mountain resort work sites
• substance abuse treatment
• expanding the availability of affordable housing

After entering the workforce, new workers will receive career advancement, skill development and life-long learning opportunities. Colorado will integrate welfare to work efforts with other local welfare reform activities and one-stop services, and is developing innovative transportation partnerships and housing assistance services.

Colorado joins Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, 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 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: $9,878,865

STATE MATCH: $5,000,000

STATE CONTACT:

Employment & Training Programs
Colorado Department of Labor & Employment
1515 Arapahoe Street
Tower 2, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80202

Contact:
Ms. Judith Richendifer, Director
(303) 620-4204

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COLORADO

The State of Colorado will use its Welfare-to-Work (WtW) funds to enhance, supplement, and expand Colorado Works! (State Welfare program) and TANF services.

Grant Recipient:
Employment & Training Programs
Colorado Department of Labor & Employment
1515 Arapahoe Street
Tower 2, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80202

Contact:
Ms. Judith Richendifer, Director
(303) 620-4204

Amount of Grant : $9,878,865

Match Provided:$5,000,000

Total Investment in the State of Colorado:$14,878,865

TANF Caseload Numbers:

Populations Served:

TANF recipients
Non-custodial parents

Innovative Services:

One-Stop Environment. Colorado's goal is to enable their local areas to become One-Stop environments. The TANF program, which is administered on the local level, will provide the SDA/PIC with each individual's assessment data and Individual Responsibility Contract. Next, each SDA will notify eligible applicants; provide information regarding nearest WtW office; and coordinate with their county service providers to design marketing strategies. As a result, the WtW office will directly recruit eligible participants and inform the entire local workforce development network of the WtW program.

Basic Services and Other Activities:

Each SDA/PIC using its existing delivery system will develop and execute employment activities according to their servicing population needs. The employment services activities assist the individuals with choosing career advancement, skill development, and life-long learning. The individual will begin activities after entrance into the workforce.

Services will include:
Job readiness
Post employment services
Job retention
Job placement
Substance Abuse Treatment
Support Services (transportation services, support groups, crisis intervention,etc.)

Emphasis on Supportive Services:

Transportation. Due to Colorado's open plains and mountains, many regions are developing innovative partnerships with transportation providers. The City and County of Denver are currently participating in a national demonstration project to address the limitations of reverse commutes. Also, the private sector is working on addressing transportation issues such as: assisting Mountain Resort region employees with affordable means of transportation to and from work. The State will encourage WtW operating entities to purchase additional needed services from transportation providers and to support the development of new transportation services.

Housing. The Department of Labor and Economics and the Department of Human Services will support and assist the numerous State, local, and community partnerships in instituting, maintaining and expanding housing services. Currently, JTPA and TANF have existing partnerships with housing agencies across the State.

Governor's 15%:

Governor Roy Romer and staff will develop and execute projects that will assist long-term welfare recipients make a successful transition into unsubsidized jobs and attain self-sufficiency. The remaining funds will be used to augment the 85% funds allocated to the PICs/RWDBs.

Distribution of Funds to Localities:

50% based on poverty level
25% based on the number of adults receiving TANF
25% based on the number of unemployed individuals

State Coordination:

Colorado's Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Human Services have devised a statewide WtW planning committee comprising members of State and local agencies: Private Industry Councils and Service Delivery Areas, Kennedy Centers, Colorado Community College and Occupational Education System, and the Governor's Office. The committee is working closely together to make the WtW program operate in an effective and efficient manner.

Measures of success:

All program participants:

Earning successful placement rankings in unsubsidized employment
Maintaining employment after six and twelve months
Increasing wage earnings at 6 months of employment
Completing education/training programs and activities
Attaining placements in all kinds of employment

Non-custodial participants:
Paternity establishment (indirect measures)
Child Support payments (indirect measures)
Participation in parental education

Colorado's Competitive Grants:

Rocky Mountain SER/Jobs for Progress, Inc.
Charles Tafoya, Executive Director
P.O. Box 11148
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 480-9394

Funding: $1,460,864

This program responds to the unique needs of the Welfare-to-Work population for job readiness skills, English language proficiency, occupational skills, and child care. The strategy is to focus on assistance to the full family unit. The goal of this program is to place eligible individuals into gainful unsubsidized employment in demand occupations with long-term career opportunities. A second element of the proposed service strategy is to provide hands-on vocational and job specific skills training for occupations with high demand. Participants will also be provided ESL, adult basic education and academic and functional remediation relating to employment. The BEST Career Center will provide complete skill evaluations and testing, job readiness preparation, computer and business training classes, life skills, GED preparation, career counseling, and a computerized job match system.

Partners include Rocky Mountain SER's Denver Head Start and JTPA programs, Department of Social Services, The BEST Career Center, Community College of Denver, Emily Griffith Opportunity School, In Care Corporation, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment/Job Service Centers, Denver Department of Social Services Placement Center, and various home health service providers.

Substate Allocations:

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