WorkFirst HandBook

Paid & Unpaid Employment

8.5 Community Job Connection/Career Jump Program (Job Connection or JC)

The Job Connection section includes:

• 8.5.1 What is Job Connection?
• 8.5.2 What is Career Jump?
• 8.5.3 Who needs Job Connection?
• 8.5.4 Job Connection and Stacked Activities
• 8.5.5 What is a Career Plan?
• 8.5.6 Job Connection and Support Services
• 8.5.7 Start of Job Connection/Career Jump Employment
• 8.5.8 Budgeting Job Connection Income
• 8.5.9 Hold Process
• 8.5.10 Worksite Placement
• 8.5.11 Career Plan/Worksite Agreement
• 8.5.12 Worksite Supervision
• 8.5.13 Reporting
• 8.5.14 Closing a Job Connection Program
• 8.5.15 Job Connection Program - Step-by-step guide

The Department of Commerce contracts with local community-based organizations to provide and manage the Community Job Connection (known as Job Connection) and Career Jump Programs for WorkFirst participants.

8.5.1 What is Job Connection?

The Job Connection Program provides TANF participants with opportunities to build references, develop networking connections, and demonstrate their work skills directly through employment by performing jobs within their chosen field. The Job Connection Program consists of up to three (3) months of paid employment at a worksite, paired with targeted job hunting activities and mentoring opportunities.

The Job Connection Program offers worksite opportunities at nonprofit, tribal and government agencies. The Career Jump Program offers employment opportunities with any employer who has agreed to hire the participant at the end of the training time.

Participants who complete the full three (3) months of the Job Connection Program without finding unsubsidized employment would transition to full time Job Search/Career Scope with significant assets to assist in their full time job search efforts including:

• Recent work history in that field,
• An enriched resume,
• Current on-the-job performance evaluations, and
• Reference letters from their supervisor, professional mentor and co-workers

8.5.2 What is Career Jump?

Career Jump is a subset of Job Connection which offers participants an opportunity to gain paid work experience with an employer that has agreed to hire them at the end of their program. At the negotiated transition date, the participant will transition to the employer's payroll and the employment opportunity will be compensated above minimum wage, 32 or more hours per week and will include wage progression and benefits comparable to other employees.

8.5.3 Who needs Job Connection and Career Jump?

Job Connection may be an option for participants who:

• Have completed vocational educational training or obtained their HSD/GED
• Have an identified occupation or industry for which they would like employment
• Are ready and able to be employed full-time (32-40 hours per week) within three months of the enrollment
• Need recent work history to increase employability
• Have childcare and transportation plans
• Do not currently hold an unsubsidized job

In addition to the options noted above, Career Jump may be an option for participants with an identified employer willing to hire the participant at the end of the training time.

8.5.4 Job Connection and Stacked Activities

Contractors will arrange for 15 hours per week of stacked activities and create a Career Plan with the participant design to increase the participant’s employability. The stacked activities, when available and appropriate, can include:

• Job Readiness Activities such as workshops and classes that may cover resume writing, interview techniques, internet job searching techniques, etc. Workshops can be provided by the contractor or other community provider. Contractors will be responsible for tracking and documenting attendance.
• Job Hunting activities provided by the contractor. Job logs will be required to track participation. Contractors will be responsible for tracking and documenting attendance.
• Work Ethics activities provided by the contractor or other community providers. Contractors will be responsible for tracking and documenting attendance.
• Job Club activities scheduled on a regular basis that provide opportunities for peer to peer mentoring and connection to employment opportunities
• Working with a Professional Mentor who has experience in the participant’s chosen career field that will remain connected with the participant throughout the program.

All stacked activity components must be supervised daily and attendance records must be maintained. If the education/training co-enrollment activity is provided by a WorkFirst partner the appropriate component must be coded with the provider's contractor code. That provider is responsible for reporting participation and progress (if applicable) in eJAS.

All activities must be documented in the Career Plan with specific details regarding schedules and monthly progress updates.

If the subsidized Job Connection job ends and the participant has not yet found unsubsidized employment, the participant should be referred back to the DSHS WorkFirst Program Specialist (WFPS) or WorkFirst Social Service Specialist (WFPS) to complete a referral for full-time Career Scope activities or other appropriate activity.

8.5.5 What is a Career Plan?

The Contractor will work with the participant to develop a Career Plan in eJAS. The Career Plan will detail all aspects of participants' activities while in the Job Connection Program to include career planning, employment information like work location and schedule, monthly employment evaluations, details of all job readiness and job hunting activities. All participation requirements should be included in the Career Plan so the participant has a full understanding of their program expectations, activities, and accountability. If they are not participating in all activities detailed in their Career Plan, they may be sanctioned for non-participation.

Job Connection participants are required to sign their Career Plan whenever their program expectations or requirements change. Contractors provide a copy of the signed Career Plan to the participant and maintain a copy in their files.

The Career Plan can be updated by the Contractor; WFPS/WFSSSs have access to view the Career Plan by opening it from the link on the participant's main screen in eJAS.

8.5.6 Job Connection and Support Services

Prior to authorizing Support Services to a participant, WF partners should access Support Services in eJAS to ensure the guidelines for each category have not been exceeded. Support Services will then be authorized.

8.5.7 Start of Job Connection/Career Jump Employment

Job Connection work assignments must be coordinated with public or nonprofit organizations and provide job training in the participant's chosen career field. Career Jump participants may be placed into worksites with for profit, public or nonprofit employers.

Participants are expected to make first contact with the contractor within five (5) business days of the referral with a childcare and transportation plan. Contractors will attempt to contact participants by telephone, email if available, or direct face-to-face meeting if the contractor is on-site at the time of referral. First contact is defined as an actual face-to-face meeting between the contractor and the participant.

If first contact is not made within five (5) business days then the contractor will reject the referral on the 6th business day.

Contractors will meet with the participant to review the participant’s IRP, develop the Career Plan and determine appropriate stacked activities.

Contractors will provide program orientation to participants regarding program policies and expectations.

The following fields on the eJAS Employment screen will be completed by the Contractor once the Contractor confirms the participant has started employment and is receiving wages:

• Employment Code: P (part-time, 20 hours)
• Subsidized Code: C (the current Community Jobs code will be used for Job Connection)
• Insurance Code: 01
• Start date/effective date: First actual date on payroll
• Hourly wage and hours per week
• Job Code (click on the Question Mark symbol on the eJAS screen for Job Code help list)
• Employer Information: Use the host worksite's name, address, etc.
• Job Type: select the employment type that the participant is involved in.

When the Job Connection enrollment ends:

The Contractor will enter the following information in the Employment Screen:

• Enter the actual end date,
• Complete the termination code,
• Enter the termination date, and,
• Enter the effective date of the termination

The WFPS/WFSSS will complete the following:

• Contractor Data Maintenance pop up screen, and
• Actual End Date field (with the appropriate component completion code).

8.5.8 Budgeting Job Connection Income

Budgeting for the Job Connection program will follow the current guidelines for budgeting Community Jobs income. When the Job Connection employment begins, the WFPS enters CJ income type and the anticipated gross income amount on the ACES EARN Screen. These entries will automatically set up the:

• 50% wage expense disregard,
• 2nd and 5th month review alerts, and
• 9th month end of placement alert.

Please note: The first month the participant receives their first Job Connection paycheck(s), the paycheck(s) is disregarded for WorkFirst/SFA. Example: participant begins working at Job Connection worksite on 5/15/2011 and receives first paycheck(s) on 6/11/2011 and 6/25/2011. The income is disregarded for the month of June. The start date the worker will enter for the month of June is 6/1/2011.

In the ongoing month (the month the participant will receive their first Job Connection paycheck), the start date is the first of the month the participant receives the check. The worker must make sure to properly code the income and the hours in the ongoing months.

To capture the historical Job Connection hours, after the ongoing month is updated, the worker will go into a minimum of 2 historical months (unless the participant was placed on the job site less than 2 months ago). The worker will update the ACES EARN screen using:

• The income code 'CJ'
• A start date of the first of the historical month
• The same budgeting method as the ongoing month
• The same number of hours entered in ongoing month
• Income of $0.01 - Do not enter actual income for the historical months - it is critical that you must enter 0.01 to minimize overpayments. Ignore (IG) any BEGs created by entering historical information.
• Appropriate valid value (ES, WS, CC or OT)

ACES will generate an alert #413 in the 2nd and 5th months of participation to notify the user that a review is due. An alert (#414) is generated in the beginning of the third month of Job Connection participation. Confirm when the Job Connection job will actually end in the 3rd month (and double check in the 3rd month for cases will be in Job Connection longer than three months) and enter that date in the end date field, removing the income.

8.5.9 Hold Process

If a participant starts on the Job Connection worksite and a situation arises that requires them to be temporarily removed from the Job Connection Program, a case staffing should be held with the WF partners.

Once the hold issue has been resolved, the participant should resume their Job Connection Program.

8.5.10 Worksite Placement

Participants will be placed in a work activity no later than 10 business days of first contact. Initial activities can include workplace training and orientation directly related to the worksite. Examples of the training may include safety, workplace competencies, customer service, basic computer skills, work specific skills, etc. Worksite placements will support the participant’s career goal.

Contractors will establish worksites and ongoing worksite management to include:

• Worksite Agreements
• Worksite Supervisor Training
• Position Descriptions
• Career Plan
• Bi-monthly Attendance Reporting
• Monthly Evaluations
• Monthly Participation Documentation

8.5.11 Career Plan Development/Worksite Agreement

The contractor will work with the participant to develop a Career Plan and sign a worksite agreement. The host worksite administrator and the contractor must sign a worksite agreement. A copy of the signed worksite agreement must be on file with the contracting agency.

Work assignments must have a position description that clearly details the work schedule, duties, and transferable skills being obtained. The worksite supervisor and the participant must sign the position description. Copies of the signed agreement must be provided to the participant, the worksite supervisor and maintained in the participant's file.

Information regarding the participant’s work schedule, duties and skills will be entered into the Career Plan in eJAS. Participants are required to sign their Career Plan whenever their program expectations or requirements change. The Contractor will provide a copy of the signed Career Plan to the participant and maintain a copy in their files.

Note: If the participant is involved with the ACP (Address Confidentiality Program), do not enter the worksite information. The Contractor will enter "ACP" instead of the actual worksite name.

8.5.12 Worksite Supervision

Worksite supervisors are required to provide an employee evaluation for every participant on a monthly basis. Contractors will report information from the evaluations on monthly participation and progression updates via eJAS.

Worksites will be supervised on a daily basis. The worksite supervisor must maintain daily attendance records. If a participant does not show up for work, the absence must be reported immediately to the contractor.

8.5.13 Reporting

Worksite supervisors will submit attendance records every two weeks to the contractor. The contractor will enter the attendance records in the actual hours reporting screens in eJAS (see Monitoring Participation chapter). Contractors will report attendance issues using the "Immed" column on the Contractor Caseload Screen:

After two absences (regardless of whether they are excused or unexcused) in one calendar month, the WorkFirst partner/provider will:

• Send an immediate notification to the DSHS case manager.
• Keep the activity open.
• Contact the participant and case manager as part of the Continuous Activity Planning (CAP) process to discuss next steps, including if it is appropriate to refer the client back and close the activity.

This allows the participant to remain in the activity while the service provider, case manager and participant have an opportunity to discuss whether participation in this activity is appropriate.

If it is decided that the activity is not appropriate for the participant, the WorkFirst partner/provider will refer the participant back to DSHS.

• Monthly participation reports will include attendance documentation for job readiness and job hunting activities in the actual hours reporting screens in eJAS.
• Monthly evaluations will be entered in the Career Plan that will include information from the worksite supervisor regarding the participant's progress at the worksite.
• Every two months the evaluation information will contain specifics regarding skill progression.

At the end of the 2nd month or one month prior to the end of the program the contractor will include their suggestions for next steps at completion of the program. This will provide the WFPS/WFSSS information when they meet with the participant, resulting in a smooth transition between programs with minimal interruption in participation.

8.5.14 Closing a Job Connection Program

Anytime a participant is no longer enrolled the contractor will:

• Close the Career Plan in eJAS.
• Enter the date and select the "reason" code on the Contractor Caseload Screen to electronically refer the participant back to DSHS.
• Enter a case note documenting the reason the participant is leaving the program as well as their suggestions for next steps for the participant.
• If a participant leaves the program due to unsubsidized employment, the contractor will create the unsubsidized employment screen in eJAS.

Resources

Related WorkFirst Handbook Sections

• 3.3.1 Individual Responsibility Plan
• 3.3.2 Stacking Activities
• 3.9.2 Documenting and Reporting Participation
• 6.5 Family Violence
• 8.1 Paid & Unpaid Employment - Overview

Forms & Other Resources

• The Department of Commerce