The status of one-stop job centers, which are aimed at helping low-income and disadvantaged workers find and keep jobs, was the subject of a joint hearing held on June 29 by the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources and the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training, and Life-Long Learning.
Opening the hearing, Human Resources Subcommittee Chair Nancy Johnson (R-CT) expressed concern that the one-stop job centers have not provided enough assistance for women moving from welfare to work. “Mothers working at low-wage jobs are better off, and so are their children, than when they were on welfare. But I have absolute faith that many of these mothers are capable of growing into bigger and better-paying jobs,” she said.
The hearing coincided with the full implementation deadline set forth for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (P.L. 105-220), which was approved by Congress in 1998 as a follow-up to the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193). July 1 marked the full phase-in date for WIA and the phase-out of the previous federal law pertaining to employment programs, the Job Training Partnership Act.
WIA requires states to consolidate in one location access to programs administered and funded through several federal departments. The one-stop centers can be used by those seeking to move from welfare to work, as well as other citizens eligible for the programs provided.
The bulk of those programs include the Department of Labor’s programs for adults, dislocated workers, youth, senior citizens, migrant and seasonal farm workers, Native Americans, and veterans, as well as the Employment Service, the Job Corps, the Unemployment Insurance program, and Welfare-to-Work block grant programs. WIA also pertains to the Department of Education’s vocational education, vocational rehabilitation, and adult literacy programs, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Community Services block grant program, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s employment and training program.
Cynthia Fagnoni of the General Accounting Office testified on a study conducted by her agency, telling the subcommittees: “While states are making progress with implementing WIA, not all of them will have completed all implementation steps by July 1.” As states continue to work toward implementing WIA, she said, “the system is starting to unfold, new relationships are being established, and despite the challenges, states and localities are developing promising approaches in the way they serve their customers.”
Assistant Secretary of Labor Raymond Bramucci described his department’s efforts to bring together governmental and business organizations to engage them in the goals of WIA. He cited meetings and briefings involving the National Governor’s Association, the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the National Alliance of Business.
Mr. Bramucci said the Vice President’s reinventing government initiative also is focusing on WIA by conducting monthly meetings that involve all of the departments with WIA programs, as well as the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, and Commerce, and the Office of Management and Budget. “We have devoted significant resources and high-level attention to this issue,” he said, adding: “We must…recognize WIA’s importance to serving welfare recipients.”
Robert Gross of the Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies praised the administration’s efforts, but added that reporting requirements should be simplified for participating programs. Rather than the current “unnecessarily complicated reporting system,” he said, “accountability should rely on a limited number of clear, direct, and understandable outcome measures.”
In addition, Mr. Bramucci called for more cooperation between WIA programs. “Convincing all of the required partners to truly participate in the one-stop is difficult at times; these partners often have their own systems and funding issues,” he told the subcommittees.
Richard Ramsburg of the One-Stop Employment Partnership of Frederick County, Maryland, echoed Mr. Gross’ concerns. Under WIA, there is no effort to “streamline reporting,” he said: adding: “There is nothing that mandates or encourages the reduction or elimination of redundant programs.”
In terms of better cooperation among programs, Mr. Ramsburg said WIA sometimes “complicates the lives of locals” with “the mismatch of program requirements and program regulations.” As an example, he said that “having a car is often essential to keeping a job.” Although eligibility for some federal programs is open to those who own cars, the eligibility for one of the largest programs participating in WIA—the Welfare-to-Work block grant—does not allow car ownership, he said.
