On April 1 and 2, the National Transitional Jobs Network held its national conference, Building Opportunities for Workers, Employers, and Communities, in Oakland, California. This event brought together diverse stakeholders from around the country to share innovative program ideas, learn about recent developments in the field of workforce policy, and build new skills. The focus of the conference was to expand the Transitional Jobs

strategy to make the vision of work a reality for every individual. This year, the NTJN had the privilege of partnering with REDF, an Oakland-based nonprofit organization, who as conference co-sponsor designed and facilitated an entire learning track devoted to social enterprise as a pathway to employment for people with the greatest barriers to work.

The NTJN would like to extend a special thank you to all who attended the 2008 Conference. We hope that you will continue to partner with us in building opportunities for every worker, employer, and community across the country!

We are excited to announce that materials from individual workshop sessions are now available for download on the NTJN website. Click here to access the conference webpage or visit us at www.transitionaljobs.net and click on the Events button on the left sidebar to be redirected to the conference webpage.

To locate materials for a specific workshop session, click on the session name located on the left sidebar and you will be redirected to the appropriate webpage where you can download materials from that session. If you followed a learning track at the conference, click on the learning track name to access all of the materials from the sessions within that track. In addition, you will also find links to each presenter's organization's website, which you can click on for additional information.

2008 TJ Program Census Release

Your input is critical to the advancement of Transitional Jobs! Please click here to fill out a 5-10 minute survey to help us assess the needs of TJ programs across the country.

The National Transitional Jobs Network is conducting a national survey to assess the current status and growth of Transitional Jobs programs in the United States. By filling out this short survey, you will help the NTJN develop new resources to serve TJ programs and advocate for policy change that supports the growth and development of TJ programs nationally. With the information you provide on the survey, we will be in a position to gain more TJ policy recognition, earn public support for programs, and most importantly, we will be better able to serve you. Your input on this survey is vital to advancing Transitional Jobs.

If you have any questions about this survey, or would like to speak with someone from the National Transitional Jobs Network, please contact Maureen Ryan at 773-336-6087 or via email at maipassociate4@heartlandalliance.org.

Please click here to fill out the 5-10 minute survey.

It is anticipated the budget conferees¹ will be appointed this week and that a final federal budget for fiscal year 2009 could be on the floor of the House of Representatives and Senate some time next week. The House and the Senate each passed their own budget resolutions in March; however, a final budget conference bill has not been adopted. One of the issues delaying the process is the total discretionary spending number, with the House budget providing $3.6 billion more than the Senate. 

¹A conference committee is a committee of the Congress appointed by the House of Representatives and Senate to resolve disagreements on a particular bill. The conference committee is usually composed of the senior Members of the standing committees of each Chamber that originally considered the legislation.

For more information:

Click here to read highlights of the House Budget Resolution or click here to read highlights of the Senate Budget Resolution.

For more information about the implications of the FY2009 budget for workforce development, click here to visit the Workforce Alliance.

Second Chance Act

Background: The Second Chance Act (HR 1593) became public law (No: 110-199) on April 9, 2008. The Act amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions for adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects to provide expanded services to offenders and their families for reentry into society. The Second Chance Act authorizes $181 million in federal funding for fiscal years 2008 and 2009; however, it is now up to Congress to appropriate the total funds authorized by the Act.

Opportunities for TJ: In the purposes/findings section of the Act, Transitional Jobs programs were mentioned as "proven to help people with criminal records to successfully return to the workplace and to the community, and therefore can reduce recidivism."

The Second Chance Act authorizes the Department of Labor (DOL) to grant funds to nonprofits for the "Responsible Integration of Offenders." The same grant funds can be used to establish mentoring programs through nonprofit partners, which includes 'transitional services to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the community.' The Act calls that grant funds can be used for the following purposes:

• Mentoring eligible offenders, including the provision of support, guidance, and assistance in the community and the workplace to address the challenges faced by such offenders;
• Providing job training and job placement services to eligible offenders, including work readiness activities, job referrals, basic skills remediation, educational services, occupational skills training, on-the-job training, work experience, and post-placement support, in coordination with the one-stop partners and one-stop operators that provide services at any center operated under a one-stop delivery system established under section 134(c) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, businesses, and educational institutions; and
• Providing outreach, orientation, intake, assessments, counseling, case management, and other transitional services to eligible offenders, including prerelease outreach and orientation.

Under current DOL definitions, work experience and on-the-job training have the flexibility to be used for Transitional Jobs programs.

For more information:

Click here to download the full text of the law.

Click here to download the Families Against Mandatory Minimums “The Second Chance Act Frequently Asked Questions.”

Background: On February 5, 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the final rules implementing changes in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). The DRA made key changes that significantly increase the work participation rates states are required to meet. In June 2006, HHS issued interim final regulations to implement these changes, which limit states’ flexibility in assigning recipients to work activities. The final rules will take effect October 1, 2008.

Opportunities for TJ: Around the country TJ programs have been successful in transitioning public assistance recipients into work. The new TANF regulations make Transitional Jobs an attractive option for states in meeting their work participation rates because states can project hours of participation. All elements of TJ programs are allowable under HHS definitions of work activities. Specifically,

• The work component of TJ programs can count as “subsidized employment” or “on the job training” by HHS definitions, which are both core activities and count towards all required hours of participation.
• And, under the new regulations, components of a Transitional Jobs program other than work can only be counted as subsidized employment if all hours of activity are paid. Unpaid activities must be tracked separately and counted as other activities.
  

For more information:

Click here to read “Implementing the TANF Changes in the DRA: "Win-Win" Solutions for Families and States.”

This 2^nd edition report from the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is intended to guide state administrators and advocates as they consider implementing the TANF provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act. This report has been updated to reflect the Interim Final Rule and guidance issued by HHS in response to states’ Work Verification Plans.

Click here to read “Education and Training for TANF Recipients,” a paper published by the Center for Law and Social Policy.

This paper explains the changes in the new rules that affect recipients’ access to education and training and the actions that states will need to take in order to take advantage of these changes.

Farm Bill

Background: On May 2, the Senate-House Conference Committee announced that it agreed upon and approved all major elements of the new Farm Bill. The final version of the Bill  which would cost $285 billion, provides for an increase of $1 billion a year for food stamps and other nutrition aid.

Opportunities for TJ:  The final version of the Farm Bill includes two important reforms to the Food Stamp Employment and Training (FSET) program that are critical to ensuring that food stamp recipients can receive the training and education necessary to succeed in the labor market. Specifically, the Farm Bill amends current law, which limits employment and training participants to 120 hours per month in the Food Stamp Employment and Training Program, to allow employment and training participants to voluntarily participate for more than 120 hours per month. The final version of the Bill also would allow FSET recipients to receive up to 90 days of post-employment job retention services. Under current law, FSET participants become ineligible for receiving supports and services immediately once they get a job.

For more information:

Click here to download the complete Farm Bill.

Click here to learn more about the Food Stamp Employment and Training program.

Click here to see how Food Stamp Employment and Training funds can be used to support TJ.

In March, the Apollo Alliance, Green For All, Center for American Progress, and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy release a report titled, “Green-Collar Jobs in America’s Cities: Building Pathways Out of Poverty and Careers in the Clean Energy Economy.” This first-of-its kind guide is intended to inform stakeholders in cities and states across the country to enhance one critical component of America’s shared prosperity – training and employing people for the higher wage, family-supporting careers in the new clean, green, energy efficient job sectors. The guide makes a strong case that pursuing a four-step strategy – essentially a metropolitan green business and jobs development plan – provides a wealth of environmental, economic, and social benefits, including what it calls “a pathway out of poverty” for thousands of unemployed, under-employed, and hard to employ people in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This is good read for anyone interested in how Transitional Jobs programs can take advantage of emerging opportunities in the green economy.

Click here to read the full report.

A companion piece to this report, “Greener Pathways: Jobs and Workforce Development in the Clean Energy Economy,” outlines a plan of action for state policy makers, highlighting reform opportunities to embrace the greener and more equitable promise of the new energy economy. The report talks about the kind and quality of jobs in the clean energy economy; the skills needed to fill these jobs, and highlights federal resources that can support state green jobs initiatives. It was prepared by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, the Workforce Alliance, and the Apollo Alliance.

Click here to read the full report.

To learn more about how one Transitional Jobs program is working within the new green economy,

Contact:    Gregg Keesling, President

                  Workforce, Inc.

                  Indianapolis, IN

                  gkeesling@work-force-inc.com

                  317.532.1367 x22

Workforce, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that helps ex-offenders transition back into the community through job training and important practical support. Through the process of de-manufacturing computers, then packing and shipping the resulting e-waste, participants learn to use a variety of tools and materials, solve problems, load and unload trucks and pallets, as well as how to safely operate machinery such as forklifts and balers.

Urban Institute’s newly released report titled, “Life After Lockup: Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community,” is an excellent read for anyone working in the reentry field. The report synthesizes key findings from Urban Institute’s Jail Reentry Roundtable, and examines opportunities on the jail-to-community continuum where reentry-focused interventions can make a difference. The report begins by providing some general facts about the current state of incarceration in the U.S., including a discussion of the multiple barriers that individuals with criminal records face after release, including substance addiction, employment and housing instability, mental illness, and health problems. The authors go on to cite examples of promising reentry initiatives from around the country, highlighting successful collaborations between jails/prisons, law enforcement, faith-based organizations, mental health providers, the business community, and other community stakeholders. This report is a good source of facts and statistics that advocates and program administrators can utilize when making the case for Transitional Jobs as proven strategy for helping individuals with criminal records reintegrate back into the labor market and the community.

Click here to download the report.

The Center on Law and Social Policy (CLASP) released a new paper titled “Low-Income Workers and Families Hardest Hit by Economic Decline Need Help Now,” reflecting the newest data on how American workers and families are being affected by a declining labor market and increasing costs of food, fuel, and other basic necessities. This paper describes the economy's impact on vulnerable adults and youth, detailing why low-income workers and families are most at risk during an economic downturn. CLASP lays out recommendations for action that can make a real difference in the lives of low-income workers and their families including: ensuring income support for unemployed workers; expanding food assistance to low-income individuals and families; expanding and improving the dependent care tax credit; and targeted state fiscal relief to keep critical services available. This is a good read for anyone working with low-income workers, and provides the most up-to-date data on the state of the labor market for this population.

Click here to download the paper.

The Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families announced a $4.8 million grant opportunity for the Office of Community Services' (OCS) Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI) program, which helps low-income individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency. JOLI applicants must provide technical and/or financial assistance to private employers in the community to assist them in creating employment and business opportunities for TANF recipients and other low-income individuals. In order to create these sustainable employment and other opportunities, funded projects should focus on the following three program strategies: new business ventures, business expansion, and self-employment/ micro-enterprise projects. HHS anticipates awarding grants up to $475,000 to 9 to 11 grant recipients.

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The NTJN is hosted by Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
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