Introduction
Job training is fundamental to helping public assistance recipients and minimally skilled workers achieve lasting economic stability. With the majority of welfare recipients either unemployed or minimally employed, and recent “welfare-leavers” in low-wage positions with no benefits or skills, the notion of self-sufficiency is unreal. To that end, one strategy to address this facet of the poverty issue is the adoption of workforce development initiatives.
Factual Background The 1980’s and 1990’s saw an increase to productivity and income growth as compared to the lull of the 1970’s. As growth rebounded, earnings inequalities increased significantly for the highly educated, as they pulled away from the lesser educated, and as high …show more content…
Yet, “of all new jobs created between 1999 and 2006, approximately 70 percent will require high skills, under 10 percent minimal skills, and slightly more than 20 percent low skills,” (Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2002). Whilst the percent of high school students meeting three or four of the ACT college benchmarks “went up slightly from 39% to 40%, the fact remains that fully 31% are not meeting any of the Benchmarks,” (ACT.org, 2015). Ultimately, those leaving welfare are not earning enough to achieve self-sufficiency and lack the basic skills today’s employers require. Research has shown that workforce development is an effective strategy for preparing “welfare recipients with limited education and skills for jobs with above-average earnings, benefits, and opportunities for advancement,” (Institute for Women’s Policy Research, …show more content…
The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 allocated funds for on-the-job training, and as the need for more jobs became clear, other funding was put toward the development of public service jobs. As the Civil Rights Movement and the War on Poverty gained momentum, “workforce development [programs] got a big infusion of federal funding; but support declined after 1980,” (Holzer, 2013). Subsequent administrations eliminated federal funding for public service jobs, and support for workforce development programs also declined. (Holzer,
Job training is fundamental to helping public assistance recipients and minimally skilled workers achieve lasting economic stability. With the majority of welfare recipients either unemployed or minimally employed, and recent “welfare-leavers” in low-wage positions with no benefits or skills, the notion of self-sufficiency is unreal. To that end, one strategy to address this facet of the poverty issue is the adoption of workforce development initiatives.
Factual Background The 1980’s and 1990’s saw an increase to productivity and income growth as compared to the lull of the 1970’s. As growth rebounded, earnings inequalities increased significantly for the highly educated, as they pulled away from the lesser educated, and as high …show more content…
Yet, “of all new jobs created between 1999 and 2006, approximately 70 percent will require high skills, under 10 percent minimal skills, and slightly more than 20 percent low skills,” (Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2002). Whilst the percent of high school students meeting three or four of the ACT college benchmarks “went up slightly from 39% to 40%, the fact remains that fully 31% are not meeting any of the Benchmarks,” (ACT.org, 2015). Ultimately, those leaving welfare are not earning enough to achieve self-sufficiency and lack the basic skills today’s employers require. Research has shown that workforce development is an effective strategy for preparing “welfare recipients with limited education and skills for jobs with above-average earnings, benefits, and opportunities for advancement,” (Institute for Women’s Policy Research, …show more content…
The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 allocated funds for on-the-job training, and as the need for more jobs became clear, other funding was put toward the development of public service jobs. As the Civil Rights Movement and the War on Poverty gained momentum, “workforce development [programs] got a big infusion of federal funding; but support declined after 1980,” (Holzer, 2013). Subsequent administrations eliminated federal funding for public service jobs, and support for workforce development programs also declined. (Holzer,