These Rural LISC case studies provide real examples of workforce development efforts in rural communities across the country. Each example shows different approaches to skills training, employer engagement, and community partnerships. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can refer to these concrete ideas for building local partnerships, designing training programs, and supporting workers in rural areas.

• Upskill NW Arkansas
• Delta Compass, Washington County, MS
• People, Inc. of Virginia

Reaching both job seekers and employers can be especially challenging in rural areas. This WorkforceGPS webinar recording shares outreach strategies that help connect workers with workforce services and employment opportunities. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use the ideas shared to improve recruitment, strengthen employer relationships, and expand awareness of available services among families who may not regularly engage with the workforce system. A PowerPoint presentation and transcript are also provided.

This case study from the Shared-Use Mobility Center shows how a transportation initiative in Oklahoma grew from a pilot project into a long-term service. This resource offers useful lessons for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners who are considering new transportation partnerships or innovative service models. The resource demonstrates how TANF programs and their communities can build sustainable transportation solutions that continue supporting families beyond the initial launch phase.

This resource provides a peer example of transportation support designed to help participants transitioning off of Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to access employment and related activities. It demonstrates how targeted transportation assistance can remove a major barrier to work participation. Tribal TANF practitioners can use the example to explore how transitional transportation services may help participants maintain employment, attend training, and successfully move toward greater self-sufficiency.

This Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center technical assistance resource focuses on transportation coordination for people participating in employment and training programs. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use it to identify transportation solutions that support work activities, job training, and career development. By helping TANF programs coordinate across other social services, the resource can improve access to employment opportunities and reduce transportation-related disruptions.

This National Rural Transit Assistance Program webpage offers tools, training, and information for improving transportation services in rural communities. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, it can help identify strategies for connecting rural participants to jobs, training, childcare, and other essential services. The resource focuses on the unique transportation challenges faced by rural residents and offers practical approaches that can support employment goals.

Many communities have transportation funding available through different programs, but combining those resources effectively can be difficult. This National Rural Transit Assistance Program guide explains best practices for “fund braiding,” or coordinating multiple funding sources, to support transportation services. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use it to explore partnerships that expand transportation options, reduce duplication, and maximize available resources.

This webpage highlights KANSASWORKS’ mobile workforce center that brings employment services to rural and underserved communities. This is a practical example of how workforce agencies can meet people where they are. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use the model to explore joint outreach events, job fairs, skills workshops, and other collaborative activities that make employment services more accessible to participants.

This webpage from Washington State demonstrates how a state agency can use mobile offices to deliver public services directly to communities. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the resource offers a real-world model for expanding access to applications, case management, and support services in underserved areas. It can help TANF programs think through how mobile outreach can reduce missed appointments, improve engagement, and connect families with assistance without requiring long-distance travel.

When families cannot easily travel to a service office, bringing services directly into communities can make a significant difference. The model from Rural Health Information Hub shows how agencies, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, can use mobile offices to provide care coordination, enrollment assistance, and other support in rural or underserved areas.

TANF agencies can use this resource to explore ways to reach participants who face transportation barriers, live far from service centers, or have difficulty attending in-person appointments.