Many programs aiming to improve employment outcomes among people with low-incomes rely on relationships with employers to develop job opportunities for participants. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession changed the ways these programs engage with and garner support from employers. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief describes the experiences of six employment programs participating in the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project and presents key takeaways from their efforts to maintain and develop new connections with employers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four of the programs serve people with mental illness, one serves Temporary Assistance for Needy Families participants with disabilities or who care for dependents with disabilities, and one serves young adults with disabilities who are transitioning from school to work.

The New Models for Career Preparation project strives to create a better understanding of the design, financing, and institutional strategy principles that go into developing high-quality non-degree programs at community colleges. These programs address economic inequity among persons, particularly among women and people of color, who have no postsecondary education and lack time or money to earn a degree. As part of this project, New America has launched a Request for Proposal to fund six community colleges that excel at non-degree workforce development. Each selected college will receive $50,000 to work with New America for one year. Applications are due September 24, 2021 by close of business Pacific Time with winners announced by late October.

This research-to-practice brief discusses implementation of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment model by the Family Service League in New York and Asian Human Services in Chicago during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IPS model was initially developed to provide employment services to individuals with serious mental illness, but is now used for a broader range of populations who have significant barriers to employment. Four core components of the IPS model are rapid job search, coordination between employment services staff and mental health providers, identification of client preferences in the types of jobs, and smaller caseloads for case workers. According to interviews with organization leaders, IPS implementation included embracing remote communications and video conferencing, offering initial help to the most vulnerable to support their health and safety, developing new employment plans, and actively matching employees and employers.

This MDRC report is an evaluation of Breaking Barriers, a San Diego-based program that offered employment services for low-income persons with disabilities using an Individual Placement and Support approach. The report includes an implementation study, an impact analysis, and a cost study of the program which operated from January 2016 to June 2018. The study, which enrolled 1,061 individuals in the analysis, measured differences among program and control groups in the impact of the Breaking Barriers model on employment, earnings, continued need for public benefits and assistance, and physical and mental health outcomes.

This case statement highlights the American Job Center and its WIOA affiliates (called WorkSource) in the Pacific Mountain Workforce Region of Washington (PacMtn). In collaboration with state agencies and community partners, WorkSource offers three program tracks—work ready, work support, and education—to TANF customers based on their level of work readiness. Program staff also take a client-centered, integrated service delivery approach to address the needs of high-barrier customers. PacMtn WorkSource continues to strengthen its collaborations with a shared data system and regular meetings with all internal and external partners.

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 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.