WORKFIRST: EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Contact: Marie Bruin
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
P.O. Box 42495
Olympia, WA 98504-2495
Telephone: 360.704.4360
E-mail: mbruin@sbctc.edu

State Website: http://www.sbctc.edu/college/_e-wkforceworkfirst.aspx

Participation: 16,040 participants were served by WorkFirst Training programs administered by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009.

Who is Served: Eligibility depends on the type of services offered, but generally eligible participants include current and former welfare recipient parents earning less than 175 percent of the poverty level, about $38,500 for a family of four.

Program Description: WorkFirst Delivery Agreement applications are accepted from any of Washington’s community or technical colleges and current WorkFirst training providers including private career schools and community-based organizations and they may use the block grant funds in one or more of the following activities:

• Customized job skills training.
• Work-based learning/WorkFirst work study.
• WorkFirst financial aid/tuition assistance.
• Other basic skills and/or job skills training.
• Post-employment services.

Program History: There have been significant changes to the program resulting from the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), signed in February 2006, which reauthorized TANF through 2010.

Specifically, the DRA made the following changes affecting employment and training activities:

• Required the Department of Health and Human Services to more rigorously define the 12 allowable “work” activities, four of which are education and training activities.
• Changed how student participation in education and training can be counted.
• Required that all educational activities be supervised.
• Imposed new participation verification procedures.

Planning Cycle: Annual.

Outcome Measures: The WorkFirst program is measured by:

Funding base: 70 percent of FY10 formula is derived through program completion and student transition performance data. The remaining 30 percent is based on the rate of retention and employment entries post training.

Performance Funding (for FY11):

• The number of TANF adults entering employment after training.
• WorkFirst Student Achievement Momentum points
• Meeting quarterly participation rate average for approved TANF education & training activities.

Funding and Regional Division: Community and technical colleges and WorkFirst training providers at community-based organizations and private career colleges are awarded funds after submitting a WorkFirst Block Grant Plan application.

State Funding: None.

Federal Funding: $27,649,000 (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009).

Statutory Authority: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, WorkFirst Reinvestment Funds, and State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) budget. Administered by SBCTC.