Welfare to Work

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It's been four years since President Clinton signed welfare reform into law, and programs today provide temporary cash assistance to needy families. That has women scrambling to get the skills they need to succeed and rise above the poverty line before their financial assistance runs out. Many people argue that cash assistance alone fails to give people, especially single mothers, the incentive to get a job because many of the jobs for which they qualify pay very low wages, and keep beneficiaries mired in poverty. Such criticism has spawned a myriad of welfare to work programs, which aim to help low-income women develop trade skills, and ultimately achieve long-term self-sufficiency. One example in the Washington DC area is the Nontraditional Employment Program Women (NEW) headed by the Young Women's Christian Association. The eight-week program provides prevocational training and basic adult education for 90-120 women each year.

The 1999 Every Kid Counts Fact Book by the NEKC reports that poverty levels are highest among families headed by single mothers, and most people who work minimum wage jobs still fall far below Federal poverty standards. In addition, many women get pigeonholed into traditional "pink-collared" jobs doing mostly low paying, clerical work, with little opportunity for advancement. So NEW offers a support system for women, teaching them how to compete in today's fast-paced, male dominated job market by introducing them to nontraditional occupations such as highway construction, commercial driving, electrical work, carpentry, plumbing, masonry and computer and telephone hardware repair; occupations traditionally reserved for men. Women learn how to construct hands-on electronics projects and solve industrial problems. They also learn to improve their interpersonal communication skills, job search protocol, resume design, interview techniques, and workplace behavior. Parenting classes, as well as basic academic classes are also offered. The program, subsidized using Federal Highway Administration funds allocated through the DC Department of Public Works, is free of charge. NEW President Orysia Stanchak says the program has a high success rate, placing approximately 80% of its participants in full-time positions, apprenticeships, or other educational programs.

Many states have started their own welfare to work programs, including Virginia, which now boasts one of the most far-reaching programs in the nation. The Virginia Initiative for Employment, or VIEW, is a 16-week computer course designed to improve job prospects for people coming off welfare, and to help women jump-start a career in the lucrative technology industry. Since its inception five years ago, the program has showed some significant results. Fueled by a strong economy, former welfare recipients who are graduates of the program, report increased employment rates, earnings, and employee benefits. However, critics argue that the time limits of the program hurt those with alcohol or drug addictions, weak English skills, and mental health or other problems, not allowing them sufficient time to deal with their personal problems before attempting to re-enter the system. Unfortunately, nine out of 10 former welfare recipients continue to require the assistance of other subsidized programs, such as food stamps or Medicare. So the question remains as to whether or not welfare reform is a success. Do welfare to work programs really help women get jobs with opportunity for growth and what other kinds of programs should be offered to help women on welfare?