In 2005, Workforce Inc. was selected to participate in the National Transitional Jobs Network Technical Assistance Project.  Now, 2 years later, the NTJN checked in with Executive Director Gregg Keesling of Workforce Inc. to learn about current developments in their program. 

Workforce Inc. currently serves 38 individuals with criminal histories in a social enterprise business disposing of electronic waste and computer materials.

Challenges currently facing Workforce Inc. include:

• How to keep participants connected after they finish TJ
• How to help funders understand the need for outside funding in the context of a revenue-producing social enterprise  

Workforce Inc., in conjunction with the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, and a host of state agencies, including the Indiana Department of Corrections and the State Child Support Enforcement agency, will take part in an exciting new pilot project addressing child support arrearages that build up during incarceration and the low incentive this poses for employment. One hundred formerly incarcerated fathers of children whose mothers receive TANF will participate in the study and will agree to get a job and pay their current child support order immediately following their release. These payments will be passed directly to their families, rather than be intercepted by the state to repay welfare costs. If participants are successful for at least 5 consecutive months, past child support accrued during incarceration will be waived.  Half of the study participants will be assigned a transitional job at Workforce Inc., while the other half will be assigned to a control group of traditional workforce development services. This study comes on the heels of a recent Indiana Supreme Court ruling that accrual of unreasonable child support during incarceration is unconstitutional. Outcomes of this study hold implications for child support policy and the effects it has on employment, as well as the role of Transitional Jobs to provide important linkages to the labor market. 

Contact Gregg Keesling at Workforce, Inc. for more information.  

Developing Quality Transitional Job Sites

The Transitional Job placement site provides the primary learning environment in which TJ participants develop an understanding of workplace demands and expectations, acquire new skills, and gain the experience they need to succeed in the regular job market. A high-quality transitional job site fosters and supports this personal growth and development, while one of poor quality impedes learning and may even reinforce counterproductive workplace attitudes, habits, and behaviors.

The following checklist is intended as a guide to program administrators as they seek to identify and develop high-quality job sites:

• Close supervision at the work site that is ongoing, supportive, and provides feedback on performance and growth over time
• Work responsibilities and tasks that promote learning and enhance future employability (i.e. real work experience)
• Flexible work schedules that allow participants to attend education and training activities
• Suitability of the work environment 
• Safeguards against displacement of permanent employees
• Accessibility of the work site in terms of location and proximity to public transportation
• Capacity and willingness to perform necessary administrative functions
• Potential to permanently hire successful TJ participants
• Capacity to accommodate larger numbers of placements
• Community support for work done by participants

Strong and effective work sites may not necessarily meet each of the criteria listed above. This checklist is a tool to help staff think critically about the most important factors in a high-quality job site.  When job sites are eventually selected, explicit awareness of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the job sites will assist making a good match with individual participants.

Click here to read a more detailed description on how to develop quality job sites.

The Value of Employer Research

TJ participants will increase their employment success (longer retention, higher self-confidence and satisfaction, and often higher wages) if the unsubsidized jobs they are being placed into are structured for success. For example, high turnover might be a function of poor job design and working environment rather than quality of workers. Even within industries, employers are not created equal. It is worth the time and energy to research your prospective employers before pursuing them as partners with your program. The following questions can help you assess the quality of the job:  

• What is the managerial tone –Punitive? Flexible? Training-oriented?
• Do employees have enough time and the proper tools to accomplish their job?
• Are employees able to maximize their skills in performing their job?
• Do employees feel a sense of satisfaction and completion in their work?
• Do employees work alone or interact with others?
• How far in advance is the schedule posted?
• Do employees feel they get enough hours, consistent hours, hours that fit with their non-work life?
• Do promotions and opportunities for advancement exist?
• What is the wage schedule associated with promotions?

Tips for Engaging Employers

Employers are worried that nonprofits are out of touch with the needs of the business world. The following tips can help TJ programs better engage and recruit employers:

• Treat employers as you do funders – make professionalism, active engagement, regular communication, and timeliness in responding to phone calls and emails high priority.
• Market the benefits of TJ towards an employer’s bottom line (e.g., reduced turnover costs, tailored training, etc.) – employers get involved with workforce development programs largely out of self-interest.
• Make the case how work supports and supportive services lead to reliable, stable employees – employers value other work supports provided by the agency, but they often realize this after the fact.
• Target employers, including for-profits, who have elements of their mission statement that fit with your program (e.g., a focus on diversity, developing human capital, or partnering with local communities) and use that to establish common ground with potential employers. Employers who see themselves as congruent with the goals of your program (not just the labor aspect) are more likely to offer tangible and intangible support.

Remember that relationships between agencies and employers are developed systematically over time. Look for ways that program and employer relationships can be fostered and become mutually beneficial in the short- and long-term. Here are some tips and ideas for developing and fostering good employer relationships:

• Hold an employer event at your program to introduce yourself and your program to the employer community – many employers have no idea that your TJ program exists! Make yourself known to the employer community. Practice your employer recruitment strategies and develop initial relationships.
• Participate in local economic or community development forums – TJ programs have something very important to offer the developing community–quality employees! Building relationships with these groups will increase the likelihood that they will partner with you when it comes time to hire employees.
• Develop relationships with the local Chamber of Commerce – the Chamber of Commerce functions to provide for the economic and civic needs of the community by attracting new businesses and providing linkages between the business community and other educational, governmental, and community sectors. Consequently, they can be a great resource and advocate for any TJ program.  
• Develop an employer advisory board within your TJ program to address employee and employer needs – an advisory board is a great way to continue to foster and develop quality relationships with employers and to stay current on employer trends, concerns and needs. In addition, active employers will become champions for your program.
• Engage employers as collaborators in the training process (e.g., designing curriculum and guest speaking at your agency) – employers will have the opportunity to influence which skills are taught and develop more trusting relationships with your agency.

For more information on engaging employers, read the following articles:

By Design: Engaging Employers in Workforce Development Organizations
by Carol Clymer, 2003

Stronger Links: New Ways to Connect Low-Skill Workers to Better Jobs
by Cynthia Gibson, 2000

Getting Serious About Good Jobs
by Joan Fitzgerald, published in The American Prospect Special Report, Jan 2006

This article addresses the question of how to generate more good jobs for Americans. Conventionally, policy-makers and economists have given weight to two strategies -- education and economic development. Presumably, a better-educated workforce will command higher pay. Economic development will generate more jobs, which hopefully will be good jobs. Examples from health care and other industries are used to show the limitations of these strategies and the complexity of creating good jobs. The article concludes by asserting the need to link job training and job design with larger economic development policies.

Click here to read the article. Note: you will need to register for a temporary subscription of The American Prospect in order to view the article.

Moving Up in the New Economy: Career Ladders for U.S. Workers
by Joan Fitzgerald, Jan. 2006

Career-ladder strategies create opportunities for low-wage workers to learn new skills and advance through a progression of higher-skilled and better-paying jobs. For example, nurses’ aides can become licensed practical nurses, administrative assistants can become information technology workers, and bank tellers can become loan officers. Career-ladder programs could provide opportunities for upward mobility and also stave off impending national shortages of skilled workers. But there are a variety of obstacles that must be faced candidly if career-ladder programs are to succeed.

In Moving Up in the New Economy, Joan Fitzgerald explores specific programs in different sectors of the economy—health care, child care, education, manufacturing, and biotechnology—to offer a comprehensive analysis of this innovative approach to job training. The role of intermediaries such as community colleges, social service agencies, and job training programs as employer partnerships are discussed. Through looking at the successes and challenges encountered by career-ladder programs, this book offers practical application to workforce training and employment issues, especially those that affect low-wage workers.

Click here to read chapter 1: The Potential and Limitations of Career Ladders

The Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the availability of approximately $20 million for Youthful Offender Grants. These grants will be awarded through a competitive process for three categories of projects: (1) Registered Apprenticeships (to increase the placement of young adults being released from the criminal justice system into registered apprenticeships); (2) Alternative Educational Pathways (to increase the educational achievement and attainment of youth in the juvenile justice system); and (3) Project Expansion (to replicate effective programs for serving juvenile offenders). 

Existing Transitional Jobs programs serving youth from the juvenile justice system are encouraged to apply under the project expansion category.  Note: grants CAN be used for participant wages.  Applicants can apply for grants in more than one of these categories, but separate applications must be submitted for each category. Applications are due by May 31, 2007.

For more information, click here.

A Conference Call on the Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI) program

On Wednesday, May 16th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST, the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Community Services will host a conference call to provide an overview of the Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI) program and review the program funding announcement, application requirements, procedures, and timelines.

The purpose of the JOLI program is to create jobs to be filled by low-income individuals. JOLI grantees provide technical and financial assistance to private employers in the community to assist them in creating employment and business opportunities for individuals receiving TANF or eligible to receive TANF and other low-income individuals. To create these sustainable employment and other opportunities, funded projects focus on one of the following three program strategies: (1) new business ventures, (2) business expansion, and (3) self-employment/micro-enterprise projects. Applications for funding are due by June 20, 2007.

To register for the call, click here.

To read the program announcement, click here.  

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The NTJN is hosted by Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
4411 N. Ravenswood
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