SEE Hawaii Work Program
The Supporting Employment Empowerment (SEE) Hawaii Work Program is a statewide subsidized employment program that involves the business community in the Universal Engagement effort to provide Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients with on-the-job training and meaningful employment opportunities. The SEE employee is able to meet federally defined work requirements and receives subsidized earned income while the SEE employer acquires an employee who is trained at a reduced cost.
SEE Hawaii Work takes the concept of apprenticeship and expands it into an effective training-for-hire model with private sector management. The State contracts with a private employment service agency to market SEE, take and fill job orders from companies, and provide ongoing support to employers and employees.
TANF recipients that are SEE participants can earn standard industry wages and receive the same benefits as other employees in a similar position, such as paid vacation and sick leave. SEE reimburses participating private employers for the SEE participant's wages at a rate equal to the state minimum wage plus $.50 for each additional $1.00 per hour paid over the minimum wage, and 14% of the total subsidized wages to cover training and employment related expenses, such as Unemployment Insurance, Workers Compensation and FICA. The SEE Hawaii Work “Graduates”; those who complete the reimbursement period have a 82.5% success rate of being retained by their employer.