Low-income parents who participate in TANF need better, more accessible job training and support services to obtain family-sustaining work. To accomplish this, it’s important to coordinate TANF’s employment programs with federal workforce development services under WIOA. States are very interested in coordinating their programs, but progress has been slow.
Job training and education determine workers’ success in today’s economy. Without industry-recognized credentials, low-income workers can’t qualify for the well-paying jobs they need to move out of poverty. That’s why CLASP advocates for federal, state, and local policies that break down barriers and increases access to workforce development programs, such as the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. We also seek to ensure workers with the greatest need receive the comprehensive services they need to access postsecondary skills training opportunities and succeed in a competitive labor market.