This report profiles three workforce organizations across the country--in Colorado, Georgia and New York--and explores the strategies they used to grow their programs locally. The report examines the dilemmas workforce organizations frequently face in meeting not only the needs of their dual customers--job seekers and employers--but also the needs…

Under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), states face steadily increasing work participation requirements. The TANF structure presents one new option: the ability to use TANF funds for community service employment in wage-paying, publicly funded jobs designed to provide work for individuals and to address unmet community needs. A…

Florida Keys Community College (FKCC) undertook a project to expand and improve job placement services to increase the overall placement rate for Associate of Science program graduates. The size, minimal available resources, and isolated location of FKCC contributed to its graduates' difficulties with job search. Objectives were accomplished…

The Urban Job Center was designed to help break the poverty cycle for single parents and their children by increasing single mothers' participation in job training, providing them with such supportive services as child care and transportation assistance, helping them gain access to higher-paying jobs, and informing parents about realistic…

This paper explores recent research, current practices, and implications for the future development of job placement programs in vocational education. An introduction views the relationship of job placement programs to vocational education and the importance of continual research in this area in light of three factors: responsibility for job…

The project was designed to test the feasibility of a variety of service techniques to assist chronically unemployed older workers in obtaining employment. Individuals between the ages of 45-65 who were unemployed for at least 15 months were eligible for the project. The clients were assigned to three basic groupings: (1) a rehabilitation workshop…

A community rehabilitation program (CRP) that focuses on employment services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing can best provide a full range of customized services by working collaboratively with other local agencies. Pooling resources, whether financial or staffing, is an efficient way for collaborative agencies to assist both employers…

This report details the experiences of six two-generation intervention projects in New York City supported by grants from the Foundation for Child Development. The two-generation projects help low-income families gain access to employment-related services for parents, and developmental services such as quality child care and health care for…

This brief updates an overview of welfare benefits and services in Texas in 1997, when House Bill 1863 and the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 first went into effect. Since 1997, Texas and 12 other states from the Assessing the New Federalism study have implemented many changes in social safety net…

This brief examines changes in Florida's welfare-to-work, child care, and child welfare systems since 1997, presenting information from visits conducted in 1999 and 2000. It profiles Florida's population, economy, and politics, reviewing its income support and social services safety net. Three sections detail current policies and recent changes in…

This brief summarizes information collected during visits to Massachusetts in 1999 and 2000 to document changes and progress since 1997, updating a 1997 report on the state's benefits and services and the economic and political context shaping Massachusetts' agenda for serving low-income families. It profiles Massachusetts' economy and population,…

This brief examines changes in Washington's welfare-to-work, child care, and child welfare systems since 1997, presenting information from visits to Washington in 1999 and 2000. It profiles Washington's demographic, economic, and political conditions, reviewing its income support and social services systems and highlighting recent changes,…

Developed by the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission for use in Canada Employment Centres and also ultimately used in schools, CHOICES is a unique employment counseling tool involving computers to match individual interests and abilities with suitable occupations. (MF)

This report focuses on an effort by Los Angeles County to transform its welfare-to-work program, Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN), from one that emphasized basic education to one focused on speedy entry into the work force. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the original program; reasons for a shift to a work-first model and description of…

This issue discusses the problems that frequently accompany involuntary job loss. The types of problems experienced by dislocated workers are discussed under these categories: emotional, family, financial, physical health, job skill obsolescence, and lack of basic academic skills. The report also presents approaches that were taken by four…