National Transitional Jobs Network Presented at the Social Enterprise Alliance 8th Annual Gathering on April 19th.  Over 50 people attended a lively breakout session titled Transitional Jobs: Charting A Path Toward Sustainability, which featured NTJN staff, Steering Committee Members, and current TJ social enterprise programs.

TJ Program Listed as Innovative Program for TANF Recipients

The Georgia GoodWorks! TJ program is listed by the Welfare Peer TA Network as an innovative employment program for TANF recipients with multiple barriers to employment. Click here for a full description of their program design and evaluation outcomes.

At One Year Out, Las Vegas TJ Program Starts Off Strong

In 2005, the City of Las Vegas was selected to participate in the National Transitional Jobs Network Technical Assistance Project. The NTJN is excited to report that the City of Las Vegas EVOLVE workforce development center was recently the recipient of a "Community Partner" award by Goodwill of Southern Nevada for their Women In Transition (WIT) Transitional Jobs program working with women transitioning from prison. The TJ program began a little over a year ago and has been tracking the outcomes of its 30 participants. Sixty-three percent of all participants went on to secure unsubsidized employment with average wages of $9.51 per hour and were still employed after 90 to 180 days.

Due to the success of the program, the City Department of Neighborhood Services/EVOLVE is working feverishly to identify other funding opportunities to sustain the Transitional Jobs program. Internally, the department hopes to identify city general funds that can be contributed to EVOLVE programs. Externally, staff are seeking grant funding and funding through the Workforce Investment System.

For more information, contact Cedric Cole at ccole@lasvegasnevada.gov.  

City Limits Interviews Experts who Tout TJ as Critical for Reentry

City Limits, an investigative reporting and community development news magazine in New York City, interviewed five reentry experts on their ideas regarding reentry strategies, rehabilitation, and overcoming barriers to employment. What follows is a candid dialogue where Transitional Jobs is mentioned as an important link between individuals and employers. Additionally, the benefits of the Second Chance Act are noted, along with many other practical tips. This is a great read for anyone working with reentry populations. Click here for the interview.

TJ Program to Sell Products at Whole Foods

As part of Whole Foods' new local vendor program, Sweet Beginnings, a social enterprise TJ program, will begin selling their honey-based, environmentally friendly and socially conscious Beeline personal care products in a local Chicago Whole Foods store. A subsidiary of the North Lawndale Employment Network, the program is expanding to offer 100 transitional jobs each year to men and women transitioning from prison.

For more information, contact Brenda Palms Barber at brenda@nlen.org.

Do you have articles, broadcasts, or media attention you want featured in “TJ in the News”? If so, contact the NTJN at ntjn@heartlandalliance.org.

A Transitional Jobs task force brings key community partners together to build the TJ strategy on a local level. A task force may include service providers, local officials, employers, and any other people or agencies relevant to the implementation or future direction of TJ in your community. Task force development builds support and momentum for TJ through sharing information and expertise across sectors, creating tangible partnerships, coordinating the development of TJ programs, and capitalizing on advocacy opportunities.   

The NTJN interviewed members of the North Dakota TJ task force to share their experience and advice on task force development with other NTJN members.

NTJN: “How did your task force originate?”

ND Task Force: The task force began with a need for reentry services. A couple of us heard about the TJ strategy and then visited Lifetrack Resources in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. We wanted to spread the information about TJ to others in our community, so we brainstormed a list of 65 people and organizations we wanted to target in our state – people in business, correctional institutions, the state Chamber of Commerce, state legislators, and service providers. We sent them each a letter inviting them to a presentation of the TJ strategy conducted by NTJN staff and Steering Committee members. About 35 people showed up. At that initial meeting, it was decided that we wanted to move forward with developing a Transitional Jobs strategy, and we set a date for our next meeting, which was six weeks later. That was April of 2006. 

Click here to view the mission, vision, and value statements of the ND TJ task force.

NTJN: “Who is a part of your task force?”

ND Task Force: We currently have members from:

• The North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities at Minot State University
• The North Dakota State Parole and Probations Office
• The Federal Parole and Probations Office
• North Dakota Rehabilitation & Consulting Services
• North Dakota Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation
• The Fargo Area Chamber of Commerce
• The North Dakota Job Service
• Friendship, Inc.
• Production Alternatives

As part of the structure of the task force, NTJN staff and leadership have provided a substantial amount of technical assistance, which has greatly enhanced the progression of the group. Specifically, Jan Mueller, NTJN Co-Chair, has provided personal on-site visits, conference calls, emails, and one-on-one communication with a variety of task force members.

NTJN: “How is your task force organized?”

ND Task Force: We initially formed three work groups:

• Population Research – this group identified what was happening in the community and which populations our TJ strategy should target because we wanted to expand from just looking at reentry populations. We now include TANF and homeless populations in our program design.
• Pilot Project – this group created the program design and implementation process for a pilot TJ program in Fargo, which we eventually want to expand statewide.
• Funding Research – this group continues to investigate and pursue funding opportunities for the pilot project.

  Every member of the task force participates in one of the work groups.

Every member of the task force participates in one of the work groups. This was especially important in the beginning to keep people personally invested and moving forward. The work groups coordinate their own activities and then report back at the larger task force meetings, which are every six weeks. The work groups may change. For instance, the population research is now complete, but now we have a legislative work group that researches policy and advocates with state officials.

Another key feature of our organizational structure is that we have an outside group called The Consensus Council that provides facilitation services for all our meetings.  They are a non-profit, neutral third-party organization that assists the task force in communication and a consensus-based decision-making process.   

NTJN: “What are your next steps for the future?”

ND Task Force: We are currently seeking grant funding for an individual who will be responsible for managing the pilot TJ program.

For more information on North Dakota’s task force development, contact:

Tom Alexander
North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities at Minot State University
tom.alexander@minotstateu.edu
701-858-3436 (direct line)
1-800-233-1737 (nationwide toll free)

Second Chance Act of 2007 Introduced

Senators Biden (D-DE), Specter (R-PA), Brownback (R-KS), Leahy (D-VT), Kennedy (D-MA), and Obama (D-IL) recently introduced "The Second Chance Act of 2007" (S. 1060; HR. 1593).

The purpose of the Second Chance Act is to reduce recidivism by improving reentry planning and implementation. The bill would provide competitive grants to promote program innovation in areas of post-release housing, substance abuse and mental health services, mentoring programs, and education and job training, of which Transitional Jobs is listed as one of the "proven, effective strategies."

This legislation holds great potential for funding Transitional Jobs programs serving people with criminal histories. Visit the advocacy page of the NTJN website to learn how to advocate for the Second Chance Act with the media and your local officials.

The Employment and Training Administration announces the availability of $3 million for eligible grassroots organizations with the ability to connect to the local one-stop delivery system. The funding is an extension of the Faith-Based Initiative hoping to enlist new grassroots organizations - defined as local nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $500,000 for which social services are a “major part” of their mission - into the workforce system. ETA plans to make awards ranging from $50,000 to $75,000, with no matching contribution requirement. Note: grants cannot be used for stipends or wages to participants, and you must have an existing formal partnership or letter of intent with your local one-stop center. The application deadline is May 8. Click here for the complete grant announcement.

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The NTJN is hosted by Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
4411 N. Ravenswood
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Phone: 773.728.5960 x.6286 Fax: 773.506.6649