While most employment coaching and other employment services are offered in a program office, school, other community location, or virtually, emerging evidence suggests that offering employment services in a participant’s home may have some important advantages. It puts the program staff and the participant on a more equal footing and encourages a strong relationship between them; it allows the program staff to gain richer information about participants’ strengths and areas of need; and it is easier, less costly, and less time-consuming for participants. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief describes why employment service practitioners more generally might consider offering services in participants’ homes. It also offers some considerations for program practitioners.

In the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), young adults and adults, ages 18-49, who do not have dependents and are not pregnant, are considered Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs). ABAWDs cannot receive SNAP benefits for more than 3 months within a 3-year period unless they meet the ABAWD work requirement or are exempt. This Administration for Children and Families letter provides information and resources on new exceptions for the ABAWD time limits and work requirements in SNAP. The information can assist youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and transitioning out of foster care who are eligible for SNAP benefits.

WorkforceGPS is hosting a virtual event on December 14, 2023 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m ET where participants will discuss current evidence on strategies that support equitable job training. Discussions will include how practitioners leverage the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to improve access to training and entry into good-quality jobs for job seekers, particularly those from underrepresented and underserved groups. This event builds upon guidance issued by the Department of Labor in TEGL 21-22 on increasing equitable service access and outcomes for job seekers in WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker programs.

The benefits of recovery from problematic substance use are wide-ranging. They include improvements in a person’s physical health, emotional well-being, relationships, school and career achievement, and financial security. These benefits extend well beyond the individual, positively affecting families, workplaces, communities, and society. Counselors and other professionals can play a critical role in helping individuals achieve their recovery goals and in supporting them as they develop the skills needed for long-term recovery. This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) provides guidance to counselors, administrators, and supervisors about recovery-oriented services, supports, and care, allowing them to better serve individuals in or seeking recovery from problematic substance use.

The Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (MIBEST) program provides pathways into college for adult education students across the state. MIBEST is a workforce and economic development effort led by the Mississippi Community College Board and implemented with the state’s 15 community colleges. MIBEST concurrently delivers short-term workforce training, career and technical education, and adult education. The program targets residents without high school credentials, individuals with low incomes, and nontraditional students. This Urban Institute brief is a supplement to their original evaluation and provides an analysis of two factors: the outcomes of student parents and the outcomes of students in different geographic regions.

Self-regulation skills are the skills needed to finish tasks, stay organized, and control emotions. These skills are important for succeeding in work, school, and other aspects of life. But recent research suggests that the stresses and uncertainty of poverty can be overwhelming, leaving less mental bandwidth for effective development and use of self-regulation skills. For this reason, some TANF and other employment programs that serve adults with low incomes have begun to work on strengthening self-regulation skills by implementing employment coaching. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief shares promising strategies and lessons learned that human services staff might adopt to help program participants use and strengthen self-regulation skills.

The Center for Excellence in Family-Finding, Engagement and Support launched a series of webinars that are dedicated to promoting the transformative work happening in California towards cultivating a kin-first culture in child welfare. The Center will host a webinar on January 9, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT where panelists will share their unique perspectives and insights on the Kin-First philosophy. The webinar will delve into the power of Kin-First Culture and the transformative programs that are redefining family connections. This session will shed light on how agencies can form meaningful partnerships, helping children and youth stay connected with their family, extended family, and community.

CareerOneStop is a comprehensive career, education, and job search website. It also offers GetMyFuture, a specialized website for youth and young adults ages 14-24, where tools and information are available to help youth find information to achieve their employment and career goals. This Workforce GPS webinar is on January 18, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET and will offer participants tools and resources to help youth explore career ideas, gain insight into their work values and interests, learn about effective resume writing, job search methods, and more. Presenters will also demonstrate how to save career assessments and job searches, and how youth can share them with their counselors.

From its design, apprenticeship was meant to be a pathway for youth to gain skills and employment. However, with time, the system has morphed and the typical apprentice in California is closer to the age of 30 than to 16. Apprenticeship has largely ceased to be a pathway of choice for young people to access careers and has instead turned into an opportunity that’s only pursued after other roads have turned into dead ends. This New America blogpost looks at California’s Master Plan for Career Education. This plan will provide an opportunity for the state to make clear what it means for apprenticeship to serve young people in California.