General Approach & Range of Services Available

America Works places hard-to-serve populations and has jobs for all skill levels. The average TANF (AFDC) recipient that we successfully place has been on welfare for 5 years and scores academically at the 8th grade level. Half do not have a GED/high school diploma. The New York State Department of Labor has determined that 88% of the people placed by America Works remain off the welfare rolls three years later. Our Supported Work model is largely responsible for this success rate.

Job Readiness

America Works pioneered the now nationally adopted work-first approach to welfare reduction. Clients first participate in up to four weeks of training, focusing on soft skills like communication, getting along, developing a positive attitude and overcoming fears. We prepare clients for interviews, let them brush up on clerical or non-clerical skills, match them with job openings and arrange interviews with potential employers. America Works’ Job Readiness services prepare participants for jobs with the specific companies at which we place, with curricula geared to the specific soft and hard skills that our employers demand. America Works tailors its 4-week curriculum to the unique training procedures and needs of selected employers thereby giving our participants a competitive advantage when competing against outside applicants for positions.

Job Placement

Employer relationships and intensive follow up support are two key elements of our Supported Work model. America Works’ ability to use a seasoned private sector sales force to get participants quickly into jobs separates us from the competition. Companies want to work with us and want to hire our TANF clients. Sales Representatives compete amongst each other to place participants in well-suited jobs, with performance bonuses awarded to sales representatives who consistently make placements that work and last.

Nationwide, America Works places participants in a wide range of clerical and non-clerical positions, at an average nation-wide starting salary of $8.50/hour. Each office brings in over 50 new position openings per week and places over 20 participants per week. Having many jobs and a wide variety of jobs allows us to place people carefully according to their skills and their interests, a strategy that translates into higher long-term retention rates.

Supported Work

Clients are placed at companies for up to a four-month training period, called Supported Work. Supported Work allows us to provide 4 months of training at no additional cost. During Supported Work, companies pay participants an hourly wage, thereby matching funds provided through government contracts. During Supported Work, America Works is the employer, which allows us to play a hands-on role during the crucial initial training period. This extra support up front improves our retention rates in the long run, by getting the welfare recipient off to a strong start. Supported Works typically lasts for four months, after which unsubsidized employment is secured at the same site. Not every participant engages in Supported Work; some go directly on to the company payroll in unsubsidized positions, if the company requests it.

Unsubsidized Placement

After completing the Supported Work trial period, the candidates are hired permanently onto companies’ payrolls. Companies sign contracts with America Works stating that each participant with a satisfactory performance record will be hired into an unsubsidized position at the end of the Supported Work period, at the companies’ discretion.

Case Management

A personalized Case Manager mentors candidates on personal and professional issues, by visiting them and their supervisors on the job and meeting with them during non-working hours. This allows America Works to continuously assess the job match to ensure it is ideal, and provide clients with additional support services as required. The Case Manager acts as an advocate, partner, mentor and supervisor, helping candidates confront the challenges to entering the workforce, whether professional or personal. The Case Manager works with a small caseload of 20 participants, allowing them to provide clients with intensive and cohesive one-on-one counseling. Case Managers also help coordinate social services with work obligations, making sure that clients receive the counseling and services necessary to ensure long-term workplace success. Case Managers continue to counsel and assist clients for an additional 6 months once unsubsidized employment is obtained, and indefinitely as needed.

Job Retention Services

The America Works Case Manager meets at least once per week with each participant. The Case Manager makes work site visits and conducts evaluations with the on-site supervisor, coaching the participant on workplace skills and behaviors. In addition, the Case Manager coordinates the provision of social services through CBOs during non-working hours, monitoring attendance and personal improvements. The key to the success of our case-management retention services is that the same coach monitors success both on the job and off, providing a level of continuity while teaching TANF recipients how to manage the demands of the workplace with the competing demands of their home and personal lives.

This method is the reason why America Works ensures at least 6 months of retention at unsubsidized jobs – support is consistent and integrated. The wisdom of this strategy is proven by retention statistics yet to be paralleled by any of our competitors.

Supportive Services

America Works recognizes that the barriers to employment among TANF recipients are often daunting and debilitating. For this reason, America Works collaborates with a range of social service providers who tend to the wide variety of client needs. In addition, America Works ensures that those supportive services are coordinated with the work schedule of participants.

Advancement Services

America Works likes to make sure that participants realize growth opportunities by urging them to continually develop improved work and personal skills. The majority of the positions in which we place participants offer room for growth and advancement.

In addition, America Works’ Case Managers encourage participants to take advantage of training and educational opportunities available in their communities to improve their market value for future advancements and salary increases. Historically, those programs have included GED, ESL, college credits, and vocational training. We enroll participants in an array of educational and training programs, based on community availability. Again, such services are coordinated with work schedules, with the Case Manager acting as the liaison between the school and the client, monitoring attendance and achievement.