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Welfare to Work Program

Annual Report

July, 2002—June, 2003

Connecticut Department of Labor’s Welfare to Work Program

The Connecticut Department of Labor’s (CT DOL)

Welfare to Work program consists of Jobs First Employ-

ment Services (JFES) and the Federal Welfare to Work

employment services. The JFES program serves recipi-

ents of Temporary Family Assistance (TFA). TFA is Con-

necticut’s cash assistance for low-income families pro-

gram, using Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy

Families (TANF) funding.

The CT DOL administers JFES in partnership with the

Connecticut Department of Social Services (CT DSS) and

the Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs). Overall, CT

DSS is responsible for TFA and CT DOL is responsible for

employment services. The employment services under

the Federal Welfare to Work grant program, creates addi-

tional job opportunities for the hardest-to-employ JFES

customers, non-custodial parents of minors who are TFA

recipients, and those no longer eligible for TFA due to the

State or Federal time-limits.

The funding for the Welfare to Work program was appro-

priated during the 1999 State Fiscal Year (SFY) and is

expected to conclude in the 2004 program year. These

services are provided by CT DOL staff and by the WIBs

through a variety of contracted providers.

Jobs First Employment Services

Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) families with a parent

caretaker who is able to work, generally have 21 months

to reach independence of cash assistance through em-

ployment. These families are referred to as “time-

limited” TFA families and during the 21 months, the

parents are required to seek employment, preferably

full-time employment. Connecticut’s Jobs First Em-

ployment Services (JFES) program serves these fami-

lies. Under the Balanced Work First approach, a

range of services are provided. JFES customers learn

how to prepare for, find, and keep a job. They de-

velop occupational skills and participate in vocational

education, adult basic education, substance abuse

treatment, behavioral health services, and domestic

violence counseling.

JFES customers access the JFES program through a

referral from the Connecticut Department of Social

Services (CT DSS). At the time of TFA application, or

shortly after, the CT DSS conducts a service needs

assessment and refers the JFES customer to the JFES

program. During the JFES customer’s first

appointment which consists of an Intake/Orientation

session, she/he is assigned to a JFES Case Manager

who conducts an employment-focused assessment

and develops an employment plan outlining the steps

needed for the JFES customer to become and remain

independent of cash assistance.

Case Managers assigned to JFES customers help

them access services needed and match them to

available jobs. JFES customers are required to go to

work as soon as possible but some may enroll in addi-

tional training or education to help increase their

earnings potential. These “employment services” are

provided by the Connecticut Department of Labor (CT

DOL), community-based organizations under contract

with the Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), and by

Department of Labor Welfare to Work Annual Report 2002-2003

1

Jobs First Employment Services (continued)

other agencies, educational programs, and commu-

nity resources. While participating in employment ser-

vices, JFES customers may receive additional support

mechanisms including transportation assistance, a

special participation allowance for short-term activi-

ties, and subsidies for childcare through the CT DSS.

From July 2002 through June 2003, 16,997 individu-

als were enrolled in the JFES program statewide.

Federal Welfare to Work Employment Services The Federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 introduced

two Federal Welfare to Work grants that became

available to Connecticut in October, 1998 and Octo-

ber, 1999. The employment services under the Fed-

eral Welfare to Work grants program, provide additional

job opportunities for the hardest to employ Jobs First

Employment Services (JFES) customers. These include

non-custodial parents of children in Temporary Family

Assistance (TFA) families and those no longer eligible

for TFA due to the State or Federal time-limits. The Fed-

eral Welfare to Work program complements the services

provided under the JFES program by funding additional

activities that help the hardest to employ. Additional

education and training is available once the Federal

Welfare to Work customer is connected to the workforce

through employment, community service, work experi-

ence, or on the job training.

At least 70 percent of the funds must be spent on peo-

ple who meet the general eligibility criteria; that is, they

have demonstrated particular difficulty gaining inde-

pendence from TFA or are impacted by the TFA time-

limits. Up to 30 percent of the funds may be spent on

people who meet the special eligibility criteria; that is,

they have characteristics associated with or predictive

of long-term welfare dependence. Most of the people

served under the Federal Welfare to Work program in

Connecticut are recipients of TFA.

Eighty-five percent of the Federal Welfare to Work pro-

gram funds are distributed to the Workforce Investment

Boards (WIBs) allowing up to 15 percent to be retained

by the state for projects that serve eligible individuals.

The WIBs administered the program at the local level,

generally at the CTWorks centers, by contracting with

local service providers. The WIBs or their contractors

determine eligibility for Federal Welfare to Work, provide

the specified services, and


Transportation 52%

Math/Reading 48%

Limited Work History 41%

Child Care 40%

Language 15%

Housing 12%

Health 12%

Personal/Family 8%

Credentials/Licensing 7%

Legal Issues 5%

Domestic Violence 1%

Behavioral Health 1%

Substance Abuse 1%

Learning Disability 1%

Factors Affecting

Employability as Identified in JFES Employment Plans

Barrier Percent of JFES

Participants with Specific

Barrier

2

Federal Welfare to Work Employment Services (continued)

track and monitor individual outcomes. The WIBs are

responsible for providing the Connecticut Department

of Labor (CT DOL) with both financial and program-

matic data for Federal reporting purposes.

The CT DOL is responsible for monitoring the program

and for financial and program reporting to the U.S. De-

partment of Labor. Similar to the JFES program, it

uses a Balanced Work First approach. As of June,

State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2003, the Federal Welfare to

Work program served 1,810 customers. These grants

have become nearly exhausted.

Activities For State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2003 June 2002 through July 2003

The Connecticut Department of Labor (CT DOL) contin-

ues to refine policy, procedures, and procurement

guidelines in order to improve service delivery. The

following are highlights of activities for the year.

Jobs First Employment Services Procurements and Benchmarks

In addition to providing program in-take and employ-

ment services directly through the CTWorks centers,

the CT DOL also contracted with several entities to

provide a range of Jobs First Employment Services

(JFES). The CT DOL contracted $9.5 million of JFES

funds with the State’s eight WIBs to procure case

management, employment, education, and training

services for JFES customers. Individual WIBs fund

allocations were apportioned relative to the Tempo-

rary Family Assistance (TFA) population within each

workforce investment area.

The WIB contract includes performance measures

for placing and retaining JFES customers in employ-

ment. WIBs are expected to place a minimum of 50

percent of all JFES customers they served into jobs.

Fifty-eight percent of those placed had to have earn-

ings that would enable their independence from

cash assistance and 25 percent were expected to

get jobs over the Federal Poverty Level. At least 60

percent of those placed had to retain their jobs for a

minimum of 13 weeks, with 35 percent staying on

the job for at least six months. Additionally, 40 per-

cent of all JFES customers, who were employed


Federal Welfare to Work Customers Served 7/1//02—6/30/03

Total Served 1,810

General Eligibility Category (70%)

1,205

Special Eligibility Category (30%) 605

Federal Welfare to Work Employment Services

3

Jobs First Employment Services Procurements and Benchmarks (continued

when they left JFES, must attain at least a 10 per-

cent increase in wages in the second full quarter fol-

lowing exit from program.

In order to meet Federal Temporary Assistance for

Needy Families (TANF) participation rates, the WIBs

need to have 50 percent of the JFES customers they

serve engaged in activities for at least 30 hours per

week.

Of the allocations used by the WIBs to procure pro-

gram services, 61 percent went to support case

management, with caseloads capped at a maximum

of 150 JFES customers per JFES case manager.

Over a quarter of the funds, 27 percent, was used to

procure skill training for occupations in demand.

Because the WIBs maximized the use of CT DOL di-

rect employment services through the CTWorks cen-

ters, they spent only five percent of their JFES alloca-

tion to procure job search and placement activities.

Likewise, utilizing local public education agencies

resulted in spending only two percent on adult basic

education and GED services. Of the remaining per-

centages, three percent was used to purchase subsi-

dized employment, while another two percent was

used for retention/support services.

The CT DOL is statutorily responsible for providing

Individual Performance Contracts (IPC). JFES cus-

tomers who are at-risk of being ineligible for an ex-

tension of TFA beyond the 21-month time limit due

to non-compliance with employment services are of-

fered an opportunity to re-establish a pattern of coop-

eration by completing activities prescribed in an IPC.

Following a competitive procurement process, the CT

DOL allocated $500,000 to the Connecticut Council

of Family Service Agencies (CCFSA) to operate the IPC

program. The CT DOL also received an appropriation

of the Federal High Performance Bonus award of

which $73,832 was used to provide additional sup-

port services through CCFSA.

This service which is called the Compliance Interven-

tion Program (CIP) includes a home-based diagnostic

assessment and intensive case management. JFES

customers who appear to be having difficulty partici-

pating in the JFES program because they have re-

ceived their first sanction for non-compliance with

program requirements are offered these services.

The CT DOL’s JFES staff located in 14 field offices,

focused their efforts on serving over 3,700 out of the

16,997 JFES customers in the JFES program. JFES

customers between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003.

They are an integral part of the JFES structure.

Once the JFES case manager refers a JFES customer,

the CT DOL JFES staff are primarily responsible for

providing intensive job search skills training (JSST)

and conducting individualized structured job searches

(ISJS). The goal of the JSST is to prepare and orient

individuals to the world of work in a group setting.

Components of the JSST include:


4

• Preparing a Résumé and Cover Letter

• Interviewing Techniques

• Understanding Employer Expectations

• Exploring the Hidden Job Market

• Participating in Job Club

Job search assistance is also provided to customers

on an individualized basis. This Individualized Struc-

tured Job Search (ISJS) is provided to those with an

identified need. The ISJS provides one-on-one service

to JFES customers and offers a more structured coun-

seling approach. In addition, the CT DOL’s JFES staff

provide instruction in areas that help JFES customers

meet the demands of a technologically advanced and

complex workforce. These instructional workshops

include:

• Computer Basics & Keyboarding

• Internet Job Search

• Stress Management

• Balancing Work and Family

• Life Skills

• Financial Management

The CT DOL’s JFES staff also serve as a resource to

JFES case managers by assisting with the develop-

ment of appropriate employment plans for customers

based on local labor market trends, training opportu-

nities, a customer’s skill base, and aspirations.

By the year’s end, the CT DOL’s JFES staff assisted

over 1,100 JFES customers to become employed.

The average wage of those receiving CT DOL services

was significantly higher than the average wage of the

JFES population as a whole.

Training Initiatives

Training initiatives for the Connecticut Department of

Labor (CT DOL) Jobs First Employment Services (JFES)

front-line staff during this program year focused on con-

tinued quality improvement of service delivery and the

JFES program changes due to new legislation. In order


5

Entered Employment 1,142

Average Hourly Wage $8.49

Average Hours Per Week 31.9

Number of JFES Customers Served by CTWorks Staff—Total 3,715

“A Snapshot of Success”...Susan, a mother of three, was in the midst of a divorce. She had no where to live and her only alternative was to move in with her parents. She didn’t have a drivers license or reliable transportation and was experiencing a lack of self-confidence when she met HRA ‘s Case Manager, Christina Bartucca. Susan continued to be commit-ted to her Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) em-ployment plan and while job searching, she partici-pated in ALANON classes in the evening. Susan’s culinary arts skills and positive attitude landed her a full-time position as a cook’s assistant making $11.00 per hour at a local medical facility. Because of Susan’s determination and Christina’s support, Susan successfully completed her JFES ac-tivities, obtained her driver’s license, received a car donation from Good News Garage, and was approved for housing assistance. She now has her own apart-ment, received a raise, and is making $11.96 per hour. She is no longer in need of cash assistance.

Training Initiatives (continued)

to provide capacity building with limited resources,

whenever possible and appropriate, training initiatives

were coordinated with partner agencies and the Work-

force Development System Training Academy. Training

for JFES front-line staff included:

• Presentation Skills: Tips & Techniques

• Jobs First Employment Services Program

Knowledge

• Jobs First Employment Services Customer Un-

derstanding Conference

Early in the program year, JFES Case Managers at-

tended “Presentation Skills Training: Tips & Tech-

niques” which was designed and delivered by the CT

DOL. This training provided JFES Case Managers (who

were responsible for delivering intake/orientation ses-

sions) with information on how to become an effective

presenter, and how to build rapport and trust with their

customers. Other training initiatives during the year

included the “Jobs First Employment Services Basic

Program Knowledge” training. The CT DOL and the

Connecticut Department of Social Services (CT DSS)

collaborated efforts to jointly design and deliver this

training to newly hired JFES Case Managers. Although

training initiatives for next year will continue to focus

on improvement of service delivery and professional

development, there is a potential need for developing

and delivering a greater number of training sessions

based on the anticipation of the Workforce Investment

Board (WIB) collaboration and integration of Workforce

Investment Act (WIA) and JFES Case Managers (see

“Integrating Services in CTWorks One-Stops”). Further-

more, because of the overwhelming attendance and

positive evaluation of the Jobs First Employment Ser-

vices Customer Understanding Conference held in Oc-

tober 2002, many of the conference presenters will

be asked to return next program year to deliver a

more in-depth full-day training session on popular

JFES related topics. Training topics being planned in-

clude:

• Professional Ethics & Case Notes

• Transitioning the Female Ex-Offender from

Welfare to Work

Federal Welfare to Work

The U.S. Congress chose not to appropriate funding to

support Federal Welfare to Work program activities for

the 2001 State Fiscal Year (SFY), so activities funded

under this grant continue to wind-down. Of the $23

million originally appropriated, $1,321,156 was avail-

able for expenditure in SFY 03. Of this, $981,176

was actually expended.


6

A New Path in Life…. Rob, a father of two, was laid off after three years of inconsistent part-time work assignments. He was re-ferred to a JFES Case Manager at CTWorks New Haven for vocational exploration and career guidance. Rob was a military veteran and always had dreams of re-turning to the service as a medic or nurse. After suc-cessfully completing 40 hours of volunteer work in a medical setting, he obtained a part-time job. Then, Rob enrolled in a nursing assistance program, received his nursing assistance certification, and se-cured full-time employment. Several months later, Rob began to embark on a new path in life. He was recalled to the Armed Forces and will receive vocational training while in the medical unit to become a medic. Rob and his family no longer receive assistance and are excited about relocating.

During this program year, the Connecticut Department of

Labor (CT DOL) funded the Skills, Transitional Support,

Respect, Integrity, Direction, and Employment (STRIDE)

program operated by Quinebaug Valley Community Col-

lege. Since the inception of STRIDE in September 1998,

the CT DOL has committed over $118,924 of Federal

Welfare to Work Governor’s Reserves funds to keep this

successful project operating. STRIDE is an award-

winning program that serves non-custodial parents who

are scheduled for pre-release or parole from State Cor-

rectional facilities by providing them with skills and re-

sources necessary to re-enter the workforce and commu-

nity environments.

The STRIDE program is a collaborative effort between the

Connecticut Departments of Correction, Labor, and So-

cial Services, area WIBs, and the Quinebaug Valley Com-

munity College.

STRIDE customers receive training in skill-based areas

such as culinary arts, certified nursing assistant, cosme-

tology, business, graphic arts, microcomputers, and com-

mercial cleaning.

The key to STRIDE’s success is more than job placement.

An individualized transition plan is developed for each

participant that addresses issues such as how to obtain

housing, transportation, medical care, food, proper iden-

tification, and child support. For at least six months after

release, a STRIDE case manager provides support and

advocacy for customers and serves as a liaison between

employers, landlords, and family members. With this

type of support, STRIDE enables many individuals to re-

main self-sufficient and avoid returning to prison, where

the recidivism rate approaches 60 percent.

Cost Effectiveness

In the Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) program,

16,997 people were served at an average cost of

$896 per enrollment. In the Federal Welfare to Work

program, 1,810 were served at an average of $542

per person. It is important to note that these figures

should be evaluated based on a number of

considerations. First, the amount of services

participants needed varied. For example, one

Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) participant may

have been able to find work with minimal services,

another may have needed extensive services to

become employed. Second, these are figures for the

year covered by the report, yet some participants

received services in more than one year. Third, many

participants received services from other funding

sources, including adult education and Workforce

Investment Act Title (WIA) I-B.

TANF High Performance Bonus Award-Interagency Project to En-hance Barrier Resolution

Connecticut received a High Performance Bonus

Award for effectively moving welfare recipients into

high quality jobs. $1.8 million of this award will be

used to increase the depth of the initial human needs

assessment and to support an early intervention pro-

gram. Of this, $1.2 million was provided to the Con-

necticut Council of Family Services Agencies (CCFSA)

to support the early intervention program called the

Employment Success Program (ESP). The intent of

the program is to identify barriers as part of the initial

Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) assessment


7

process and immediately address such issues so as to

increase successful employment outcomes and reduce

the likelihood of on-going dependency and extensions

to the 21-month time-limit.

The early intervention services will also include an in-

depth home-based assessment, intensive case man-

agement, and referrals to community resources.

In addition to helping JFES customers become perma-

nently independent of assistance, this strategy will

help the state meet the Federal participation require-

ments and increase the probability of future perform-

ance bonus awards.

The Connecticut Department of Labor (CT DOL) will dis-

tribute the remaining $600,000 to the Workforce In-

vestment Boards (WIBs) to provide JFES customers

with more intensive job placement services.

CTWorks Business System

The Connecticut Department of Labor (CT DOL) col-

laborated efforts with the Office for Workforce Com-

petitiveness and the Workforce Investment Boards

(WIBs) to implement a versatile case management sys-

tem called the CTWorks Business System (CTWBS.)

This system was built based on the programming

specifications of the CT DOL pre-existing Case Manage-

ment and Information System (CMIS). It was also de-

signed to further support the Jobs First Employment

Services (JFES) program partners (Connecticut Depart-

ment of Labor, Workforce Investment Boards, and the

case management entities) responsible for administer-

ing the program. Furthermore, CTWBS will enhance

partner communication, continuity of case management,

and will play a major role in the future integration of the

JFES, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Case Managers,

and services in the CTWorks Centers. The CTWBS has

also been designed to support the Workforce Investment

Act (WIA) and Wagner-Peyser programs by:

• Supporting One-Stop employment service deliv-

ery systems

• Providing JFES case management support for

the WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth

programs

• Incorporating the functionality of America’s Job

Bank and Connecticut’s Job Bank systems that

provide a comprehensive labor exchange capa-

bility for both employers and job seekers

The challenge for the JFES program during the initial

stages of implementation of the CTWBS was to provide

adequate staff training on how to operate the new sys-

tem with a minimal inconvenience to JFES customers.

In an effort to meet this challenge, the CT DOL currently

established a team of system experts to design and de-

liver on-site training to over 1,000 new system users.

Integrating Services in CTWorks One-Stops

During the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2004, the Jobs First

Employment Services (JFES) program will participate in

several service delivery integration initiatives. For this

upcoming year, the Connecticut Department of Labor

(CT DOL) will ensure the availability and coordination of

employment services at the local CTWorks One-Stops for

our Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) customers.

These services will introduce our JFES customers to the


8

other valuable services provided at our CTWorks One-

Stops.

Another projected initiative that is currently being coor-

dinated with the Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) is

the integration of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and

JFES case management services. This integration will

allow case managers to simultaneously provide informa-

tion about JFES and WIA services including referrals to

support services, employment services, and training op-

portunities. In addition, the CT DOL collaborated with

the Office for Workforce Competitiveness and the WIBs

to develop and implement the CTWorks Business Sys-

tem (CTWBS) (see “CTWorks Business System section)

that will allow all JFES program partners to share infor-

mation about a particular JFES customer’s case.

TANF-Reauthorization The Federal law governing the Jobs First Employment

Services (JFES) program including cash assistance and

employment services is currently operating under a

continuing resolution. As of June, 2003, TANF Re-

authorization which proposed new Federal require-

ments on funding, work participation requirements, and

credits toward work participation rates, was working its

way through Congress. Congress has since elected to

focus on postponing TANF Reauthorization by means of

a continuing resolution with the intention of creating a

coherent and coordinated re-authorization plan with the

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) system.

Furthermore, when TANF Reauthorization passes, it will

likely require Universal Engagement, which means that

100% of the mandatory Temporary Assistance for

Needy Families (TANF) recipients must be engaged. The

definition of engaged is that an assessment has

been conducted and an employment plan

completed. In order to accomplish 100%

engagement, we plan to require that TFA applicants

receive a JFES assessment and initial employment

plan before Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) is

granted.

In anticipation of this Univeral Engagement, the

Connecticut Departments of Labor and Social

Services, and the Workforce Investment Boards

(WIBs) will be convening to develop a proposed

framework for a new JFES inter-agency client flow

that will meet both the Federal and State

requirements.


9


The information presented here is

for individuals in families receiving

time-limited Temporary Family As-

sistance (TFA). These are families

subject to the 21-month time-limit

because there is an adult in the

family able to work. There are

other families receiving TFA, such

as those with adults who are un-

able to work due to incapacity, or

families with children living with an

adult who is not their parent and

not receiving TFA.

As of June, 2003, there were

21,169 JFES families receiving

TFA; of these, 9,845 were families

subject to time limits.

Most TFA families are headed by a

single female, having either one or

two children.

Race/Ethnicity

37%

38%

39%

42%

43%

41%

32%

32%

31%

31%

29%

30%

30%

29%

29%

26%

27%

28% 1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%June '98

June '99

June '00

June '01

June '02

June '03

Hispanic African-American Caucasian Other

Decline in Number of Time-limited Welfare Families*

9,8459,78212,55812,90616,906

27,587

010,00020,00030,00040,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

June

Completed June ‘03

June ‘02

June ‘01

June ‘00

June ‘99

June ‘98

11th Grade or Below 49% 50% 50% 49% 48% 46%

12th Grade 46% 42% 40% 44% 45% 47%

Higher than 12th Grade 5% 8% 10% 7% 7% 7%

Education of Participants

Female Male

June ‘03 88% 12%

June ‘02 88% 12%

June ‘01 89% 11%

June ‘00 89% 11%

June ‘99 90% 10%

June ‘98 91% 9%

Gender of Participants

Demographics

*Data in this chart is based on all time-limited families. Remaining charts based on only those time-limited TFA families served by the Jobs First Employment Services Program

10



Demographics

11

Distribution of Employment Categories By Standard Occupational CodeJobs Held July 2002 - June 2003

27%

14%

10%

10%

10%

7%

7%

4%

3%

1%

1%

1%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Sales

Food Preparation/Serving

Healthcare Support

Office and Admin Support

Production

Building and Grounds Cleaning

Personal Care and Service

Transportation/Material Moving

Education, Training, Library

Community/Social Services

Construction

Installation/Maintenance/Repair

Distribution of Activities July 2002 - June 2003

Unsubsidized Employment

28%

Community Service

1%

Basic Education

10%

Job Search40%

Support Services

4%

Skills Training14%

Subsidized Employment

3%

JFES Enrollments By Region- 16,997

Capital4,85729%

Danb/Torr5793%

MidConn2,87717%

Northeast6734%

New Haven2,58715%

Southeast1,0326%

Southwest2,53315%

Waterbury1,85911%

*Healthcare Practitioners, Protective Service, Business & Financial, Management, and Arts, Design & Entertainment—Total 5%

Fiscal Data


Jobs First Employment Services SFY ‘03

Budget

Appropriation 15,226,617

Total $15,226.617

Expenditures

WIBS 9,565,443

IPC 500,000

CWEALF 20,000

Special Benefits 950,000

CMIS 327,681

CT DOL 3,773,770

Other 15,891

Total $15,226,617

CIP 73,832

WIBs ‘03

Capital Region $2,566,976

Danbury-Torrington 261,203

New Haven 2,009,718

Northeast 359,327

Southeast 588,523

Waterbury 815,948

Southwest 1,729,045

MidConnecticut 1,234,703

Total $9,565,443

Jobs First Employment Services SFY ‘04

Budget

Appropriation 14,936,998

High Performance Bonus*

1,800,000

IPC 500,000

Special Benefits 930,000

STRIDE* 100,000

CT DOL 2,903,720

Total $16,836,998

Allocation

STRIDE * 100,000

WIBs 11,291,000

Total Appropriations 16,836,998

CIP 1,112,278

WIBs ‘04

North Central $4,249,713

South Central 2,858,998

East 985,079

Northwest 1,358,039

Southwest 1,839,171

Total $11,291,000

12

*Separate Appropriation from Jobs First Employment Services

Fiscal Data


Federal Welfare to Work SFY ‘03

Available SFY ‘03

WIBS 971,599

Project STRIDE 118,924

Work Opportunities 230,633

Total $1,321,156

Expenditures

WIBS 839,778



Total $981,176

Federal Welfare to Work WIBs ‘03

Capital Region $262,867

Danbury-Torrington 0*

New Haven 150,000

Northeast 0*

Southeast 0*

Waterbury 173,180

Southwest 210,563

MidConnecticut 43,168

Total $839,778

Federal Welfare to Work SFY ‘04

Available SFY ‘04

WIBS 198,046



Total $339,980

Federal Welfare to Work WIBs ‘04

Capital Region $53,872

Danbury-Torrington 0*

New Haven 55,716

Northeast 0*

Southeast 0*

Waterbury 9,091

Southwest 79,367

MidConnecticut 0*

Total $198,046

13

*All funds expended in prior years.

“Jobs First Employment Services Customer Understanding Conference

Connecticut Department of Labor’s commitment to building staff capacity and quality cus-

tomer service, resulted in the sponsorship of the “Jobs First Employment Services Customer

Understanding Conference” held in October, 2002.

The Connecticut Department of Labor’s Welfare to Work Administration unit specifically de-

signed the conference for the JFES team that provide Jobs First Employment Services from

both the Connecticut Department of Labor and Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs.)

The conference featured a panel of experts from the local community. These experts pre-

sented on array of “embarking to self-sufficiency” topics including “Transitioning the Female

Ex-Offender from Welfare to Work”, “The Lasting Effects of Trauma Related to Domestic Vio-

lence”, “Legal Issues Confronting Women”, and “Cultural Competency.”

Highlights of the conference included a plenary session on “Change Management Strategies”

and a keynote address on “ How to Enhance Communication Skills” In addition, an exhibition

area was set-up to provide attendees with an opportunity to obtain additional materials on

state, non-profit, and community resources in the local area. The conference received high

recognition from both JFES administration and front-line staff.

Department of Labor


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