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The commitments, outlined in the Vice President's new pamphlet -- Federal Welfare-To-Work Commitments, A Report to President Bill Clinton -- will ensure that the Federal Government meets the President's goal of hiring 10,000 welfare recipients over the next four years.
All employers, including the federal government, have a role to play in moving people from welfare to work, the Vice President said. The report which I am releasing today demonstrates how the Federal government will do its fair share and lead by example.
The report stresses four elements necessary for any organization to succeed in hiring and retaining welfare recipients.
A leadership commitment tailored to the mission and culture of the organization. Energy Secretary Frederico Pena, for example, is holding a one-day workshop of his department's managers. Defense Secretary William Cohen has committed to hire 1,600 welfare recipients and will send a personal request to individual leaders in the contractor community.
Recruitment strategies that target the right person for the right job. Agencies will send job announcements to social service offices, private industry councils, and one-stop career centers. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt will build on the success of current programs like the Youth Conservation Corps and the recruitment strategies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and he has outlined a recruitment process that identifies ei ght work categories and associated skills needed for them.
Retention policies like supervisory training, mentoring, child care and transportation support. Labor Secretary Alexis Herman has created a free resource guide and training packages for those hiring welfare recipients and has offered to provide technical assistance in the field. This train ing was developed by studying the best practices of the most successful welfa re-to-work programs in the country.
A commitment to leverage hiring with partners in the public and private sectors. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater is encouraging private sector transportation employers to make a commitment to hire welfare recipients.
On May 29, the Vice President announced the creation of a Welfare-to -Work Coalition to Sustain Success that will help welfare recipients keep the jobs they find. Studies have shown that large numbers of welfare recipients lost the jobs they get within 12 to 16 months. Working with federal and state offices, private organizations, and business, members of the coalition will identify available resources and provide support that new workers need most to retain jobs -- mentoring, advice, and other support.
Copies of the report are available by calling the National Performance Review at (202) 632-0150 or on the website (w2w.fed.gov).