Participants in the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership—Manufacturing Pathway received services and training to prepare for and advance in a career in the manufacturing sector. Training included job readiness training to improve personal and professional skills, occupational training that provided certificates in specific trades, and apprenticeships. Services included tutoring, job search assistance, and job referrals to partner employers in the manufacturing industry. Participants were individuals who were unemployed and who expressed interest in careers in manufacturing.

The Construction Sector Partnership offered pre-apprenticeship programs with employer partners. These programs provided workers with on-the-job training that helped them prepare for entry-level construction jobs, such as carpentry, plumbing and pipe-fitting, or heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. The program also offered participants work-readiness training and job search assistance. The Construction Sector Partnership was offered to individuals who were unemployed and who were interested in construction careers in Greater Cincinnati, OH.

The Grameen America program provided microfinance loans, financial literacy training, and networking opportunities to women with low incomes. Groups of five self-employed women, who knew each other and lived near one another, applied and were selected for services together. Each woman received services individually to support her unique enterprises. The Grameen America Program was administered in Union City, NJ, and served participants in the surrounding areas in northern New Jersey.

Individuals receiving housing assistance interested in the FSS program attended an orientation, signed a contract of participation, and completed an individualized plan at enrollment. FSS program participants worked with case managers to set goals related to self-sufficiency to include in their plan. Case managers also provided referrals to services, such as education and training opportunities and low-cost child care. Most sites expected case managers to contact participants on a quarterly basis, although some sites ranged from monthly to annual contact.

In addition to MFIP employment services, MSTED participants received job-readiness assessments, one-on-one training to support job readiness, and assistance finding subsidized employment. Subsidized employment under the MSTED model took two forms. The first form, which aimed to improve participant workplace skills, was a paid work experience at a public agency or nonprofit organization for up to 24 hours per week for up to 8 weeks. Participants earned a fully subsidized wage of $9 per hour under this option.

The CSPED provided noncustodial parents with case management, employment services, enhanced child support services, parenting classes, and domestic violence services. Each participant was assigned a case manager to assess needs and monitor progress. Employment services included job search assistance; job-readiness training; and assistance with job placement, job retention, and rapid reemployment following job loss. Participating sites were also encouraged, though not required, to provide job skills training, vocational training, education related to employment, and supportive services.

GRCC’s Pathways to Prosperity program served adults with low incomes and low educational and basic skill levels in high-poverty areas in Kent County, MI. The program focused on providing services to individuals who were unemployed, had not completed high school, or had been formerly incarcerated. Pathways to Prosperity offered an eight-week course known as Career Prep, occupational training programs that resulted in a GRCC certificate, basic skills courses, and adult basic education and GED courses. Through the Career Prep course, participants earned the Michigan Employability Certificate.

VIP eligibility provisions included the following: (1) one-time payments to families with a temporary loss of income if they agreed to forgo AFDC/TANF receipt for 160 days; (2) a “family cap” that excluded children born more than 10 months after a family began to receive AFDC/TANF from a family’s benefit calculation; (3) an exemption for the accumulation of savings up to $5,000 to support education, entrepreneurship, or the purchase of a home; (4) the application of one-parent eligibility criteria in determining benefits for two-parent families; and (5) requirements for paternity establishm

VIP Only provisions included the following: (1) one-time payments to families with a temporary loss of income if they agreed to forgo AFDC/TANF receipt for 160 days; (2) a “family cap” that excluded children born more than 10 months after a family began to receive AFDC/TANF from the family’s benefit calculation; (3) an exemption for the accumulation of savings up to $5,000 to support education, entrepreneurship, or the purchase of a home; (4) the application of one-parent eligibility criteria in determining benefits for two-parent families; and (5) requirements for paternity establishment c

Case managers helped participants by arranging for necessary assessments, developing individual employment plans, and identifying and arranging for rehabilitation and employment services that the participants needed to achieve the goals in their plans. Participants received financial incentives, in the form of waivers, once their earnings reached $200 or self-employment exceeded a total of 40 hours. The provisions of the waiver were in effect for 12 months.