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Work Activities

December 2010

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Objectives

• We will

–Discuss the definitions of the activities

– The codes in the One-Stop Service Tracking (OSST) system

–Discuss assigning hours of engagement

–Discuss concerns and issues related to activity assignment

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Diamonds…

• …are a case manager’s best friend

– TRUTH OR MYTH

• Diamonds are rare

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Work Activities

• We often think that work activities are rare and hard to find, but that is simply not the case

– There are twelve categories

– There are a lot of activities that fit in these twelve categories

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Unsubsidized employment

– Subsidized private sector employment

– Subsidized public sector employment

– On-the-Job Training (OJT)

– Work experience

– Community service

– Vocational educational training

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Job search and job readiness assistance

– Providing childcare

– Secondary education for a person who does not have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED)

– Education directly related to employment for a participant without a high school diploma or GED

– Job skills training related directly to employment

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Work Activities• Unsubsidized employment

– Employment that is paid for directly by the employer and not subsidized by another party

– Seems pretty straightforward right?

• Self-employment

• Bartering

• Work in exchange for services (rent, utilities, etc.)

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Work Activities

• Unsubsidized employment is entered using one code

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Work Activities• Unsubsidized employment

– Sally (participant one) cleans apartments for $420.00 a month

– What does Sally have to provide to you?

• Proof that (s)he has a job cleaning apartments in exchange for rent

• Monthly receipts that (s)he is actually getting the stated benefit ($420.00)

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Work Activities• Unsubsidized employment

– While this may help the parent make “ends meet”, it will be very important that the parent begin to think long-term

• The parent can use this as an opportunity to pay bills and to build his/her resume

• The parent can also use the time not working to reach his/her goals

– Remember, the parent only gets credit for the amount paid divided by minimum wage

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Work Activities• Unsubsidized employment

– Self- employment is a viable way of building skills and becoming self-sufficient

– Most people who start a job

• Have to work or go to school while building a clientele

• Need help building a business plan

• Need help understanding tax rules

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Work Activities

• Unsubsidized employment

– Self- employment is a viable way of building skills and becoming self-sufficient

– How can this activity work for the customer?

• Offer them the opportunity to work with an employer who has an established business

• Code it is as “Work Experience” and require no more hours at the worksite that cash + food stamps divided by minimum wage

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Work Activities• Unsubsidized employment

– Self- employment is a viable way of building skills and becoming self-sufficient

– How can this activity work for the customer?

• Offer them the opportunity to work with an employer who has an established business

• Code it is as “Work Experience” and require no more hours at the worksite that cash + food stamps divided by minimum wage

• Research community-based classes that the customer can take to build a business plan or learn more about creating a business

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Work Activities• Subsidized employment

– Private sector employment means that the job is with a public employer

• This is an employer that receives its funding or majority of funding from a public source, like government benefits

• An example could be Work Study at a school or university

– Work Study is a great way for program participants to gain earnings while going to school

– This job can be placed on a resume, and the income will not count as a part of “income” against their benefits

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Work Activities

• Subsidized employment is entered using a variety of codes

• Subsidized private sector employment includes– OJT

– Work supplementation

– Apprentice programs

– ARRA is specifically for programs funded by the stimulus

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Work Activities

• WIA is used specifically for WIA funded jobs or programs– Adult

programs, such as Reconnections Employment Connections

– Summer youth programs

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Work Activities• Subsidized employment

– Public sector employment means that the job is with a private employer

• This is an employer that does not get its funding or majority of funding from a public source, like government benefits

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Work Activities

• Subsidized public sector employment includes– OJT

– Work Study

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– On-the-Job Training (OJT)

• This activity combines paid training with paid work hours

• The activity is based on an agreement with an employer and/or an educational program provider

– The participant is paid for all engagement because it prepares the customer for working with the employer through classroom and real-work experience

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Work Activities

• OJT is a type of unsubsidized employment and is recorded under the Skill Development section of the Skill Development screen

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Work experience

• This activity affords the participant the opportunity to gain skills while working with an employer

– The program participant has the opportunity to demonstrate they are reliable, dependable

– The program participant has the opportunity to get their foot in the door by connecting directly with an employer

– The employer may be “for profit” or “not-for-profit”

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Community service

• This activity affords the participant the opportunity to gain skills while working with a not-for-profit employer

– The program participant has the opportunity to demonstrate they are reliable, dependable

» The participant should be engaged in a series of goals to develop employability skills beyond the basics

– The program participant has the opportunity to get their foot in the door by connecting directly with an employer

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Work Activities

• Community service is entered with code 210 by clicking “Add Activity” on the Skill Development screen

• Work experience is entered with code 220 by clicking “Add Activity” on the Skill Development screen

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Work Activities

• Community service is entered with code 210 by clicking “Add Activity” on the Skill Development screen

• Work experience is entered with code 220 by clicking “Add Activity” on the Skill Development screen

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Work Activities

• How do you know how many hours to assign the customer to “work experience” or “community service”

– You cannot assign more than cash + food stamps divided by minimum wage

– You cannot assign more than 40 hours a week to any activity

– The minimum number of hours is based on the core requirement for the family

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Work Activities

• The participant cannot be required to do more than the calculation allows

Cash + food stamps / minimum wage is the ceiling

Core requirement for all-parent family rate = 87 hours a month

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Work Activities

• The participant cannot be required to do more than the calculation allows: $303 (cash) + $639 (food stamps) / $7.25

Cash + food stamps / minimum wage is the ceiling =130 hours

Core requirement for all-parent family rate = 87 hours a month

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Work Activities

• The participant cannot be required to do more than the calculation allows: $241 (cash) + $152 (food stamps) / $7.25

Cash + food stamps / minimum wage is the ceiling = 54 hours

Core requirement for all-parent family rate = 87 hours a month

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Work Activities

• What happens when the calculation is greater than the core?– The calculation is

ALWAYS the most a participant ca be required to complete during the monthCarsten Hollers – upside

mushroom

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Work Activities

• What happens when the calculation is greater than the core?– The calculation

is ALWAYS the most a participant ca be required to complete during the month

Core is 87 for the all-family rate. The government will make up the difference between the calculation and the core

The participant cannot be asked to do more than the calculation or 54 hours

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Work Activities• The parents of a two-parent family where both parents

are referred to the program and one parent IS NOT disabled cannot be required to do more than the calculation allows

Cash + food stamps / minimum wage is the ceiling

Core requirement for two-parent family rate = 152, 238 hours a month

• If only one parent is engaged and childcare is not being received, the parents must complete 152 hours in a core

• If two parents are engaged and childcare is being received, the parents must complete 238 hours during the month

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Vocational educational training

• The program participant participates in a program designed to help the participant get a trade-specific skills or a degree that will lead to employment

– How do we use this code?

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work

activities

– Vocational educational training

• How do we use this code?

– If the participant is in a program that is less than 12 months long and is in class for at least 17 hours a week, the code placed on a case is Vocational Education Training (731)

– The participant goes to class and studies to meet all required hours, and this activity is a core activity

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Job search and job readiness assistance

• The program participant learns how to look for work

– Filling out applications

– Submitting resumes

– Organizing job search activities

– Following up with his/her job search

• The program participant goes and looks for work

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– The hours are reported under code 120 by adding an activity under “Add Activity” on the Skill Development screen

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Providing childcare

• The program participant is providing childcare for another program participant who is going to a community service worksite

– Only get credit for hours that equal and match the hours the parent is going to a worksite

– Both the parent and the participant have to turn in proof of hours

• This activity is also added under “Add Activity” on the Skill Development screen

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Secondary education for a person who does not have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED)

• This is a core plus activity

• If the parent does not have a high school diploma or GED and the parent is going to school to get his/her diploma or GED, the hours can be recorded under this activity

• If the parent does not have a high school diploma or GED and the parent is going to school to improve his/her English skills so (s)he can get his/her diploma or GED, the hours can be recorded under this activity

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Secondary education for a parent who does not have a high school diploma a GED

– ESOL for a parent who needs to improve English skills to get a diploma or a GED

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Education directly related to employment

• Is an activity designed to help those without a high school diploma or a GED get skills that will help him/her get ready for work, as well as prepare for a diploma or GED

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Work Activities• Twelve countable work activities

– Job skills training directly related to employment

• Is an activity designed to help parents get skills that will help him/her get ready for work