The Missouri Job Centers in Kansas City and Vicinity and the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Region provide a variety of services for TANF customers through Missouri Works Assistance (MWA). This case statement describes collaborative practices among TANF and WIOA agencies contracted to deliver MWA services, such as sharing resources, case management, specialized staffing, and communication channels across programs. State-level support and a history of cross-agency collaboration also encourage partnership-building in this region.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

This brief highlights the collaboration among Mesa County Workforce Center partners to deliver case management and workforce services to TANF and non-TANF clients, under the umbrella of a “Career Development Program.” The Workforce Center has structured its TANF-funded Colorado Works Subsidized Training and Employment Program (CW STEP) to mirror WIOA and provide more employment services to clients. With clients’ needs and teamwork in mind, Mesa County has also redesigned its case management spaces and prioritized cross-program collaboration with joint staff training and goal-oriented accountability tools.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

This brief describes the strong collaborative culture among TANF and WIOA programs at the Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development (LCEWD) in Colorado. This American Job Center’s strategies to coordinate service delivery include targeted co-enrollments in TANF and WIOA, cross-program teams to organize work-based learning opportunities, and communication platforms to discuss shared customers. Leadership has also formalized collaboration with intentional hiring practices, management teams, and a shared mission.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

This case statement highlights the American Job Center in Central Pennsylvania (PA CareerLink®), which provides employment services to TANF (through the Employment Advancement Retention Network or EARN) and WIOA clients. With support from specialized staff at each step of the job seeking process, clients can access Job Connections workshops, assistance from job developers, and employer engagement opportunities. This PA CareerLink® also offers adult basic education services and a designated van to provide transportation assistance, among other services, for EARN clients.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

Leadership and frontline staff in Adams and Jefferson Counties are making intentional changes to coordinate employment services for TANF and WIOA clients within their respective counties. This brief highlights joint TANF-WIOA efforts in each site, including the alignment of job readiness workshop content, the development of shared tools for tracking clients’ job placement, and cross-funded opportunities for both TANF and non-TANF clients (e.g., Adams County’s diversion program and Jefferson County’s information technology job training program). Through joint efforts and resource sharing, the Workforce Centers are working to break down silos between agencies as well as barriers faced by clients.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) will host a webinar on September 19, 2019 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET to identify and build workforce strategies that target underserved populations as part of a large economic development approach for communities. Presentations will be made by representatives from the Institute for Work and the Economy, Mid-America Regional Council, the National Skills Coalition, and the Brighton Center (a social service agency). Registration fees are required for both IEDC members and non-IEDC members.

This Lumina Foundation issue paper looks at how community colleges are moving towards emphasizing workforce education for underserved populations and ways that colleges build partnerships with employers. The issue paper also looks at the adoption of shorter, stackable credentials and the value of credentials in the labor market as workers enter and progress through career pathways.

This toolkit issued by Reimagine Retail Chicagoland provides useful information on designing and implementing career pathways in the retail industry. The toolkit offers sources for labor market information that can be used to develop the pathways and provides examples of “scripts” and language to use to create employer partnerships. There is also a section that evaluates how to use engaged employers’ feedback to create and strengthen sustainable workforce partnerships in the retail industry which can be applied to other industry sectors.

ASCEND at the Aspen Institute will host a webinar on August 28, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss the implementation of the Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Act. The REAL Act restores Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, so that they can pursue postsecondary education. ASCEND representatives will moderate this webinar, which will feature presentations by representatives from the College and Community Fellowship, Vera Institute of Justice, and New York City Housing Authority.

This brief highlights an innovative collaboration forged between a corporation, government agencies, and a community partner in New Hampshire to create a career pathway for TANF participants. Read more about how the partners designed a phased training model to directly integrate TANF program requirements and prepare participants for a pharmacy technician career.

This brief is part of the Emerging Practice Series of the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative, which highlights the strategies of TANF agencies and their partners to help low-income individuals gain and sustain meaningful employment. Each brief describes an emerging practice that has been implemented in one site, an overview of the program model, and the results that have been achieved. Compelling stories of participants’ success and suggestions from TANF agency staff to their peers provide actionable insights and on-the-ground perspectives.