JOBS FIRST EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Transcription

1 JOBS FIRST EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Alice Frechette Johns, Program Manager July 1, 2010 Effective Date PROCEDURES TRANSMITTAL NUMBER: SUBJECT: Higher Education (Two and/or Four Year College Degree Programs) With the implementation of welfare reform in 1996, participation in two and/or four year college degree programs was not allowed nor supported by the Jobs First Employment Services Program (JFES). Effective July 1, 2010, Public Act No An Act Concerning Children in the Recession, lifts this prohibition and establishes that the Jobs First program shall permit and encourage parents to pursue education and training and shall approve, as work activities, two-and-four year degree programs. As with all other allowable JFES activities, higher education is to be incorporated into JFES employment plans in accordance with JFES program goals and operating principles. Hours of participation in higher education may count toward the federal TANF Work Participation Requirements and may be supported with Special Benefits and Care 4 Kids, if the participant is otherwise eligible. The attached procedures provide more detail instructions for incorporating higher education activities into JFES employment plans. INSTRUCTIONS FOR UPDATING THE MANUAL: INSERT: DISPOSITION: New policy section , pgs , Section (G) This policy transmittal should be retained for reference ISSUANCE DATE: February 24, 2011 RESPONSIBLE UNIT: Welfare to Work Unit (860) DISTRIBUTION: Jobs First Employment Services Policy Manual Distribution

2 Date: Section: Page: 13 F. Homework and Supervised Study Time cont. 2. Restrictions and Limitations in Scheduling cont. b. Study time cont. Example 2 A participant is assigned to 30 hours of vocational education per week. The instructor substantiates that five hours of homework are assigned per week. The schedule for the vocational education activity on the employment plan is for 35 hours. One week, the participant misses three unexcused hours of class. The total verified number of in-class hours is 27. The total number of verified homework hours is five so the total number of hours of participation for the week is 32 ( = 32). The weekly schedule on the employment plan remains set at 35 hours. G. Higher Education (Two and/or Four Year College Degree Programs) Participation in two and/or four year college degree programs (including distance learning and prerequisite related courses) is an allowable and countable Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) activity and may be supported with TANF-funded special benefits and Care 4 Kids if eligibility criteria is met. Higher education (post-secondary education) refers to a level of education that is provided at academies, universities, colleges, institutes of technology and certain collegiate-level vocational schools. As with all other allowable and countable activities, in order for higher education to be incorporated into the employment plan, it must be in accordance with the JFES program goals and operating principles. Case managers are to assess the participant s level of education, English proficiency, Connecticut Competency System (CCS) test scores, counter months, labor market information and degree options to create an individualized employment plan and to determine if higher education is an appropriate activity. If the degree attainment will extend beyond the 21 month time-limit, the activity may still be incorporated into the employment plan as long as the JFES program goals and operating principles are met.

3 Date: Section: Page: 14 G. Higher Education (Two and/or Four Year Degree Programs) con t. 1. Special Considerations: a. Time-Limits If participation in the college degree program is the sole employment plan activity, there must be sufficient time to complete the college degree program, participate in job search assistance and obtain a job over the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) before the end of the participant s 21-month time limit. Example: A participant with eighteen months left on her/his counter, has already completed the first year requirement of a two-year college degree program and only needs nine to twelve months to attain her/his degree. b. Participation Rate Participation in a college degree program can also be combined with other core work-related activities to allow the participant to become employed over the FPL before the end of her/his 21-month time limit regardless of the completion status of the college degree program. Example: A participant is assigned to twenty hours of job search assistance while enrolled in a two-year college degree program. She/he obtains a job over the FPL and leaves the JFES program, but continues to participate in the college degree program on her own post-tfa. If a participant s enrollment status is less than 15 credit hours (plus 15 hours of homework) or it is the college break period (e.g., Christmas break, Spring break), additional core work-related activities such as job search, unsubsidized employment or subsidized employment must be assigned in order to meet the participation requirement (a minimum of 30 countable hours per week). When choosing these additional activities, case managers should consider the 21 month time-limit and include activities that will also move the participant closer to her/his employment objective. Note: See Appendix A for detailed explanation of assigning allowable and countable activities to meet the participation rate. In some cases, higher education may not be deemed appropriate (e.g., participant has a counter of 16 months and wants to pursue a degree in nursing). In these circumstances, the employment plan would be developed with an employment objective that would support the participant in:

4 Date: Section: Page: 15 G. Higher Education (Two and/or Four Year Degree Programs) con t. 1. Special Considerations cont: b. Participation Rate cont: 2. Additional Guidance: 1) Pursuing a vocational education component; 2) Obtaining a full-time job in a similar occupational field (e.g., medical assistant or certified nurses aide); 3) Increasing current employment hours or; 4) Looking for a better paying job in a relatively short time frame a. Recording Activity The case manager would then encourage the participant to pursue higher education on her/his own in the future and may incorporate researching degree programs, colleges and the admission process into the employment plan. Higher education is an education and training related activity and counts towards the participation rate. The JFES employment activity, Higher Education is to be data entered in the electronic case management system including the total activity hours and schedule. The name of the educational institution should be recorded in the Activity Name/Description field. In the occasion that a JFES customer participates in a two or four year college degree program for more than 12 months, the Higher Education activity is recorded in the electronic case management system as Jobs Skills Training Directly Related to Employment. The name of the educational institution should be recorded in the Activity/Name Description field. After the 12 th month and if possible, this activity is to be combined with 20 hours of core work-related activity in order to meet the participation requirement (a minimum of 30 countable hours per week).

5 Date: Section: Page: 16 G. Higher Education (Two and/or Four Year Degree Programs) cont. 2. Additional Guidance cont: b. Monitoring Progress & Verification Case managers continue to monitor participant s progress regularly (at minimum on a monthly basis). In order to verify participation in higher education, the participant must provide the case manager with a copy of the fee bill and course syllabus prior to each semester. This information is obtained from the college Registrar s office. In addition, verification from the college professor of every hour of attendance (on a bi-weekly basis) for each course is needed. Hours participating in a distance learning program can also be included as an allowable and countable activity in the employment plan if most appropriate. Participants enrolled in on-line courses must provide case managers with a copy of the fee bill and course syllabus prior to each semester. This information is obtained from the college Registrar s office. In addition, biweekly documentation of log-in time in required. Participants are responsible for obtaining this verification from the college s course management system and/or Registrar s office. Failure to return the verification without good cause may result in a referral for sanction. Note: See Section 1300 for a complete description of the Sanctioning Process. c. Homework Homework is considered part of the assigned higher education activity. In order for homework time hours to be incorporated into the schedule of higher education, participants are required to provide a copy of the course syllabus to their case manager. The number of homework hours are to be incorporated directly into the electronic management system total actual hours and weekly schedule. The weekly number of homework hours may not exceed the number of scheduled classroom hours for the week. (e.g., 15 hours of homework is allowed for 15 credit hours). Note: See Section for a complete description of Homework Time.

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