Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014: A Preliminary Analysis

A preliminary analysis of provisions contained in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 related to employment, training, education, supports, and prioritization of workforce services for adults and youth with barriers to employment

My Brother's Keeper Initiative Stakeholder Memo

This memo, directed to My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Initiative stakeholders, discusses charting pathways to employment and greater economic opportunity for low-income men and youth of color

Key Provisions Supporting Employment Entry & Advancement for Individuals with Barriers to Employment in the House Democrat Workforce Investment Act of 2012

Reps. John Tierney (D-MA), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), and George Miller (D-CA) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The National Transitional Jobs Network praises the efforts that went into the drafting this bill and for the bill's emphasis on improving services to meet the workforce, education and training needs of individuals with barriers to employment. We are particularly pleased by the inclusion of Transitional Jobs programs as an allowable use of training funds for individuals with barriers to employment. This is an important step forward in ensuring our public workforce system works for all. What follows is a summary of some of the key provisions in the Act supporting employment and advancement access and services for individuals experiencing barriers to employment entry and advancement

Time is of the Essence: What the past 500 years means for the future of Black Male Achievement

This timeline seeks to shed light on how 500 years of slavery, discrimination and disenfranchisement has contributed to the current employment and economic crisis faced by African American men in the United States. In 2012, there were almost 6 million African American men and youth unemployed or not actively seeking work. Of this number, nearly 3.5 million were low income - below 200% of the federal threshold. From the 1960's until today, unemployment rates for black men have been 2 to 2.5 times the white unemployment rate. At the height of the Great Recession, the unemployment rate for black men peaked at 14%, which was nearly double the national average of 6.6% and higher than the national average during the great depression. As of May 2014, there were 717,000 unemployed black youth between the ages of 16-24 in the United States. Recognizing the implications of the historical, social, and political factors and decisions that have contributed to the current employment crisis faced by African American men and youth is critical to shaping future policy

Innovative City and State Funding Approaches to Supporting Subsidized Employment and Transitional Jobs

The paper highlights a number of public-sector agencies that have developed "outside the box" funding strategies to support transitional jobs and subsidized employment initiatives. The report include recommendations for state and city governments that are seeking to support subsidized and transitional employment solutions in an environment of scarce resources

Washington State Community Jobs: A Case Example of Statewide Transitional Jobs Efforts Serving TANF Recipients

This case study documents the development, administration, and outcomes of the Washington State Community Jobs program, the oldest and largest Transitional Jobs program serving TANF recipients

Fostering Success for People Facing Barriers to Employment through SNAP Employment and Training:Promising Employment Program Models, Practices, and Principles for SNAP E&T Participants Facing Barriers to Employment

This brief provides information and resources about best and promising employment program models, practices, and principles for serving people facing significant barriers to employment in order to inform SNAP Employment & Training (E&T) state planning, partnerships, and implementation

Publicly Funded Jobs: An Essential Strategy for Reducing Poverty and Economic Distress Throughout the Business Cycle

The need for direct public job creation efforts is greater today than at any time during the past seven decades. With a national unemployment rate that recently exceeded 10 percent and severe economic distress in hard-hit communities and population groups, a new federal initiative that puts jobless individuals immediately to work must be a central element of any strategy for restoring economic growth and responding to pressing human needs in 2010 and beyond. Public service employment (PSE) and transitional jobs (TJ) programs that use time-limited, paid work as the centerpiece of efforts to assist the unemployed offer tested and urgently needed models for combating the current recession and advancing longer-term workforce development goals

Making the Case: Why the Public Workforce System Should Prioritize Jobseekers Facing Barriers to Employment

WIOA places a priority on serving adults and youth who are low-income and receiving public benefits, but local and state public workforce systems will need to make deliberate decisions with regard to resource allocation and prioritization of adults and youth facing barriers to employment.Here are six reasons why the public workforce should prioritize and serve adults and youth facing barriers to employment

NTJN Recommendations for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization, House Committee on Education & Labor

The reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) presents an opportunity to ensure that the nation's public workforce system works for all - especially our nation's jobseekers who experience barriers to employment. Members of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training have introduced two approaches to WIA reauthorization. The Workforce Investment Improvement Act of 2012 (HR4297), introduced by the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training Chairwoman Foxx and Representatives McKeon and Heck and the Workforce Investment Act of 2012 (HR4227) introduced by Representative Tierney, Ranking Member Miller, and the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, Ranking Member Hinojosa