# Presentation: 411770

## Chick Ciccolella
Federal Partners Presentation
Policy Academy #7 Homeless Families
January 27, 2004
Miami, Florida

- Federal Partners Presentation
- Policy Academy #7 Homeless Families
- January 27, 2004
- Miami, Florida

## Department of Labor –Putting America to Work

**“****Getting people back to work is what this Department does.  Giving people hope in their future is our job.”**
**  **
- At the Department of Labor, we believe employment  is crucial to ending the cycle of homelessness in America.
- Understanding how the Workforce Investment System operates enables States to use it more effectively.

- Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao

- Department of Labor’s Role
- Employment is crucial component to ending cycle of homelessness
- DOL provides workforce assistance and services
- DOL also uses targeted programs – prevention and intervention to reduce homelessness
- Collaborative initiatives with other agencies aimed at self-sufficiency by getting homeless people back to work
- We want the Workforce Investment System represented in your state plans

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- Homeless families and those at risk of homelessness cannot begin to achieve self-sufficiency unless they have some means of adequate income support
- Many are unemployed or employed in jobs that do not provide adequate wages
- Many receive public benefit support
- Those with low skills often are in lower-paying jobs
- Most are concerned about losing their benefits

- We can help because the best way to self-sufficiency is a job with good wages and career potential

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- Our nation’s workforce investment system is a national approach for providing:
- Comprehensive employment and training
- Information
- New jobs
- Better jobs
- All are available through a one-stop shopping concept:    what we call One-Stop centers

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- These centers provide a wide range of services:
- Identify job training needs
- Job and career counseling
- Address specific barriers
- Get a job
- Keep a job

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- This is accomplished under one roof where:
- Individuals determine their own skills and training needs
- Determine how much staff guidance they need or want
- Select their own training providers

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- The system is highly devolved to the States:
- States and localities are given broad discretion to design and operate their systems
- States establish performance expectations
- Every partner should be present in the One-Stop
- The more services brought together, the easier the access.
- Collaboration is the key.

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- We are now reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act
- Making the system even more dynamic and flexible
- Requiring state plans to address the hard to serve
- Reducing barriers
- Providing incentives

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- Self-sufficiency is attainable by most who experience episodic or temporary homelessness but it requires a comprehensive approach that includes a job.
- The job market has never been so complex
- One-Stop staff can provide access or linkages to the comprehensive services

## Using the Workforce Investment System More Effectively

- We know this can work:
- Washington, D.C.
- Tucson, Arizona
- Arkansas
- California – Orange County
- Connecticut, Tennessee, Massachusetts and Florida

## Department of Labor Team

- Brian Kennedy –
- Deputy Director, Office of National Job Corps/Employment and Training Administration
- Randy Cooper –
- Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Disability Employment Policy
- Sean Kelly –
- Workforce Development Analyst, Division of One-Stop Operations, Employment and Training Administration
- Jacque Mason –
- Principal Deputy for DOL Homelessness Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy