WorkFirst HandBook

Education & Training

7.1 Overview

The Education & Training Overview section includes:

7.1.1 What are the WorkFirst Training Options?

Based on the results of the comprehensive evaluation , the strategy for stacking activities or the continuous activity planning (CAP) meeting, a parent's employment plan may include education and training.

The WorkFirst program offers several training options for parents and young adults to enhance their skills and employability. There are different rules and procedures to follow for the various options.

Education and training includes:

7.1.2 When can you add it to an IRP?

Education and training can be added to a person's Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) while on WorkFirst, some may be supported with child care for up to two years post-WorkFirst, and supported with support services for up to six months post-WorkFirst.

Under the new federal definitions, both basic education and ESL fall under the federal category of job skills training directly related to employment (and coded JT ) when a parent is participating in core activities. The parent's employment plan or education and training plan should document that the basic education or ESL is giving the parent skills needed for employment. Stand-alone ESL is coded ES and does not count towards participation.

DSHS staff can decide whether to code ESL as ES or JT based on whether the parent is participating in a core activity. Community and technical colleges will decide which eJAS code to use for all other WorkFirst education and training activities and add that information to the parent's education and training plan.

For more information about Life Skills training, please refer to section 7.3.6 – What is Independent Life Skills Training?

The following chapter sections give information about the approval process, monitoring and policy for each training option.

7.1.3 How to calculate the education and training hours

To calculate participation hours, use the actual hours the parent is in the education and training activities, to include classes, labs, and supervised study halls/tutoring sessions, and up to one hour of unsupervised study time for every scheduled hour of class time. Total homework time counted for participation cannot exceed the hours required or advised by a particular educational program.

College staff will use the WorkFirst Calculator Tool to determine the total number of weekly educational hours, including study time. The WorkFirst Calculator Tool is a spreadsheet used by college staff to determine the total number of allowable homework time, and the maximum number of homework hours allowed for the parent. College staff will keep a hard copy of the completed calculator tool in the parent's file.

LEP Pathway contractors will use the Educational IRP Worksheet to determine the total number of allowable homework time, and will keep a copy of the sheet in the parent's file.

Normally, we can claim one hour of homework time for each hour of scheduled class time.  So, if a person is scheduled to go to class for 5 hours a week, we can claim 5 hours of homework time a week, even if the person misses some classes during the month. 

However, if the person drops out and is referred back to the CSO, we need to do things differently. 

If a person is referred back to the CSO, we can only claim one hour of homework time for each hour they actually attended class for that month.  So, if a person is scheduled to go to class for 5 hours a week beginning 5/1, attends class for 10 hours between 5/1 and 5/15 then drops out and is referred back to the CSO, we could only claim 10 hours of homework time for the month of May. 

Please refer to each section's step-by-step guide for processing instructions.

Resources
Related WorkFirst Handbook Sections
Other Resources

For more information about the WorkFirst HandBook, contact Kim Shidell, WorkFirst Program Manager.