Providing Unpaid Work Experience Opportunities for TANF Recipients: Examples...

“This practice brief profiles three work experience programs that engage nearly all work-ready TANF recipients in unpaid work activities, either alone or in conjunction with education and training. Unpaid work experience is designed to mirror regular employment in the paid labor market. TANF recipients are assigned to entry-level jobs at government offices, nonprofit agencies, educational institutions, or for-profit businesses, creating an immediate attachment to the labor market. Rather than earning an hourly wage, recipients receive their TANF grant and food stamp benefits in exchange for the hours they work. [The value of the benefits received per hour of work is equivalent to the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is greater]. In addition to helping recipients meet their TANF work requirement, these programs are designed to help recipients gain job skills and become acclimated to a regular work schedule” (p.1). (Abstractor: Author)

Full publication title: Providing Unpaid Work Experience Opportunities for TANF Recipients: Examples from Erie County, New York; Montana; and Hamilton County, Ohio

“Prior to the [Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA)], few states used work experience as a primary activity for engaging TANF recipients in countable work activities. However, it is possible that more states will look to work experience programs as a strategy for meeting the more stringent DRA requirements. In keeping with the work-first philosophy, work experience offers TANF recipients a rapid attachment to the labor force that they might not have otherwise been able to achieve. The experiences of these programs suggest that program administrators considering implementation of a work experience program may need to be prepared to address the following challenges: (1) finding the right balance between providing sufficient up-front preparation to increase participants’ chances of success and quickly moving recipients into a countable work activity; (2) encouraging steady participation; (3) developing work placements that meet the diverse needs and interests of clients; (4) providing support to help participants find competitive employment; and (5) ad-dressing the concerns of local labor unions when needed” (p.15–16). (Abstractor: Author)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2008
• Author(s): Derr, Michelle K.
• Organizational Author(s): Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Melissa Mack
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies