Although the economy and employment levels have largely recovered since the Great Recession, low-wage workers continue to face unsteady work that offers few opportunities for advancement. In this webinar, Victor Tan Chen of Virginia Commonwealth University and Brian Halpin of the University of California-Davis will examine a broad range of structural and cultural barriers to steady, gainful employment for the working class in a shifting economy.

Please join this webinar, Structural and Cultural Barriers to Employment for the Working Class on June 13, 2018 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EDT.

This curriculum from the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the U.S. Department of Labor is designed for youth development professionals to introduce the concept and practice of soft skills with youth aged 14-21. It is a modular curriculum that includes various activities and works through six key areas when building soft skills: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism.

This study from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation examines the implementation and early impacts of the Health Careers for All program operated by the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education study sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families. Health Careers for All helps low-income adults access occupational training and increase their earnings as part of a career pathway program. The report provides a detailed overview of the program, study findings, and future research to be conducted.

This study from the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research examined the career earnings following a four-year college degree (versus a high school diploma) for students from a low-income background and compared them to those from a higher-income background. The results showed that there was a significant difference in earnings between the two income backgrounds even though they had both earned a four-year degree.

SNAP Employment and Training Programs (SNAP E&T) and State and local workforce agencies share a common goal of enabling low-income individuals to gain skills necessary to qualify for jobs leading to self-sufficiency. Guidance issued by Food and Nutrition Service in March 2016 encouraged SNAP and workforce agencies to collaborate on shared strategies that connect SNAP recipients — particularly able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) — to provide employment and training services through American Job Centers (also known as one-stop centers).

This webinar will highlight how States can use SNAP E&T funds strategically, along with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) resources, to expand the types of services E&T participants receive to more comprehensively meet their needs and improve outcomes. Representatives from Worksystems in Portland, Oregon and the State of Minnesota will share how their SNAP E&T program and workforce systems are working together, including through third-party partnership models.

This webinar will be on June 21, 2018 and held from 10:00 a.m to 11:30 a.m. PDT/1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Speakers:

• Julie Strawn, Principal Associate, Social & Economic Policy, Abt Associates
• Worksystems, Portland, Oregon
• State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, Saint Paul, Minnesota