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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

ETA Press Release: President Clinton and Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman Announce New Jersey to Share in $2.2 Billion Welfare-to-Work Grants [09/25/1998]

For more information call: (202) 219-8211

President Clinton and Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman today announced that New Jersey has been approved for a $23,257,092 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 grant is part of $2.2 billion being awarded to states and territories over a two-year period to fund local programs to help long-term welfare recipients enter the world of work.

"Since the welfare reform law was enacted in 1996, we have significantly reduced this nation's welfare rolls," President Clinton said. "But our work is far from done. We cannot rest as long as people are struggling to participate in our nation's growth and prosperity. That is why this grant is so important to help New Jersey's long-term welfare recipients move from dependency to economic self-sufficiency."

"And it's not just about getting a job," Herman added. "It's about keeping one. We are committed to ensuring that when long-term welfare recipients get jobs, they are able to get the support services needed to help them be successful in a job. These funds will help New Jersey's newest workers get help in areas like transportation and housing that will help them move them into good-paying jobs. For workers just starting out, these services can mean the difference between success and failure."

New Jersey will use this welfare-to-work grant to provide services such as job-search assistance, alternate work experience, community work experience, on-the-job training, drug rehabilitation, counseling, case management, basic literacy training, child care, transportation and housing. It will also support innovative services such as nontraditional career training for women and technologies to facilitate integration of employment and social services through One-Stop Career Centers.

In addition to the funds earmarked by law for local programs, the Governor's Office will use the remaining 15 percent for innovative transportation approaches, customized training, technology and technical assistance, and efforts to increase awareness of welfare-to-work services.

Forty-two states, the District of Columbia, and the Territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands are now putting the Administration's Welfare-to-Work initiative into action. New Jersey joins Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

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 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.

FEDERAL FUNDS TO BE PROVIDED TO NEW JERSEY: $23,257,092
STATE MATCH: $11,628,546
AGENCY ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM:

Ms. Connie O. Hughes, Director, 609-292-5005
New Jersey Department of Labor
John Fitch Plaza
Trenton, New Jersey 08625

NEW JERSEY

The State of New Jersey will use its Welfare-to-Work funds to enhance, supplement, and expand Work First New Jersey (State welfare program) and TANF services.

Grant Recipient: Division of Employment and Training
New Jersey Department of Labor
John Fitch Plaza
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
Contact: Connie O. Hughes, Director
(609) 292-5005

Amount of Grant:
$23,257,092

Match Provided:
$11,628,546

Total Investment in the State of New Jersey:
$34,885,638

TANF Caseload Numbers:

Populations Served:
TANF recipients
Non-Custodial parents

Innovative Services: One-Stop Career Center System. New Jersey has planned for a fully coordinated system

in each Workforce Investment Board (WIB) area, supported by new technologies which will allow an easy link between programs. In New Jersey, the Employment Service is linked directly to welfare agencies, and in most cases, Employment Service staff are co-located in county welfare offices.

There is new software under development called One-Ease-E link which will directly integrate individual participant level data for programs in the Departments of Labor, Human Services and Health and Senior Services. This technology will support the One-Stop System.

Nontraditional Career Training. The WIBs will be able to obtain approval to support the provision of training in frequent, nontraditional occupations--based on the rationale that there is a demand for women in these occupations.

Basic Services and Other Activities:
Job Search
Alternate Work Experience Programs
Community Work Experience
On-the-Job Training
Drug Rehabilitation
Counseling
Case Management
Basic Literacy
Child Care
Transportation

Emphasis on Supportive Services: Transportation. The NJ Statewide County and Community Transportation Planning Project in underway in 21 counties. The local areas are developing plans for better coordination of services to welfare clients. Also, the DHS, Transportation and New Jersey Transit have instituted several transportation projects such as "Get A Job. Get a Ride", which will provide bus and rail passes to TANF participants. NJ has implemented the "Transportation Innovation Fund"--which will provide seed money to initiate other innovate solutions that address gaps in the provision of transportation services.

Housing. The WIB's WtW subcommittees comprised of community based, public housing, vocational rehabilitation, substance abuse, child care, and transportation organizations are coordinating initiatives to move individuals from welfare to economic self-sufficiency. For example, the Workfirst New Jersey Rental Assistance Program and the Community of Family Affairs are devising plans to create time limited rental subsidies to working families exiting welfare for unsubsidized employment.

Substance Abuse. The Department of Human Services and the Department of Health and Senior Services will develop a system of coordinated substance abuse and treatment. The state will appoint a non-profit agency to hire and manage addiction specialists located in the county welfare agencies.

Governor's 15%: Governor Whitman will utilize these as discretionary funds to promote projects such as: the transportation innovative fund, customized training, tracking of activities and creation of supports; provide technology, staff development, technical assistance and administrative support; expand funding available to formula programs and increase awareness to WtW programs/services.

Distribution of Funds of Localities:
50% based on poverty level
25% based on long-term TANF assistance
25% based on unemployment

State Coordination: Partners include: State Employment Training Commission (SETC), DHS, DOL, Banking and Insurance, Commerce and Economic Development, Community Affairs, Education, Health and Senior Services.

Measures of success:
Achieving successful placements in unsubsidized employment
Maintaining employment after 6 months
Increasing wage earnings

New Jersey's Competitive Grants:

County of Union
Frank, Guzzo, Director, Union County Department of Human Services
County Administration Building
Elizabeth, NJ 07202
908-527-4809

Funding:
$5,000.000

Project site:
Elizabeth and Plainfield, New Jersey

The project will target the hard-to-employ TANF recipients by providing an intensive service track of services otherwise unavailable. The project is aimed towards establishing a multi-disciplinary team that will centralize the coordination and management of services. Also, the program is focused on reducing TANF recidivism by providing post employment services that will provide an intensive approach to assessing and delivering services for TANF clients and has strong employer incentives.

Hudson County Department of Health and Human Services
Carol Ann Wilson, Director
595 County Ave, Bldg 2
Secaucus, NJ 07094
(201) 271-4311

Funding:
$4,914,297

Project site:
Secaucus, NJ

The project will focus on assisting program participants with quick job or work experience entry through services such as: employer matching and customized job readiness specific. The program will render services to help participants with successfully overcoming employment barriers. Service strategies include: intensive job coaching and family assistance evaluation; rapid labor market attachment preparation and support, customized job specific readiness, specialized learning disabilities evaluation, rapid labor market attachment preparation and support, customized job specific readiness, organized network and ongoing technical assistance to employers, expansion and creation of non-traditional child care accessibility, customized post employment training, integrated collaboration of public/private partners, leveraging of and access to health and human services, client/employer satisfaction process, and continuous quality improvement system.

Substate Allocations:

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