Services help text

Structured on-the-job training consisting of three primary elements: (1) mentorship from a professional in the field; (2) participation in pre-determined hours of classroom instruction in addition to on-the-job training; and (3) culmination in an industry-recognized credential. Apprenticeships may be federally registered or non-registered.

Adult Basic Education (ABE), high school equivalency preparation (for the General Educational Development [GED] or high school equivalency test [HiSET]), or pre-college education courses designed for those not currently enrolled in school who need assistance obtaining basic skills in mathematics, reading, and writing. These can include developmental education courses for students preparing for postsecondary coursework.

Provision of direct, ongoing support to program participants before, during, or after employment or training. Case management may involve assessing participants’ needs, connecting participants to services (including public benefits), coordination of service referrals, helping participants meet program requirements, and providing personalized, sustained assistance.

Payments designed to provide participants with an income or strategies to help participants retain their income.

Child support provides monetary payments made by a non-custodial parent to the custodial parent to supplement the financial costs of raising the child. Child support assistance may include supporting custodial parents with applying for child support; providing education about child support to noncustodial parents; working with the child support program or the custodial parent to modify child support orders; providing assistance to consolidate petitions on multiple child support cases; and/or helping to reduce penalties for arrears.

Direct program assistance, including Head Start and Early Head Start programs or other early childhood programs, as well as cash or vouchers that assist in the education or care of children (e.g., childcare vouchers provided by TANF).

Diversion payments are one-time or short-term cash benefit payments that families receive to meet immediate needs, often (but not always) prior to enrollment in TANF or other assistance. These payments are designed to divert families from long-term enrollment in TANF or other services by addressing a specific crisis or episode of need.

Services designed to provide assistance to people who have experienced domestic violence. These services may include crisis program; counseling; advocacy with medical, police, and court systems; or prevention trainings. Some domestic violence services may include other supports such as housing.

Earned income disregards or earned income disallowances allow participants who receive means-tested government benefits to accept jobs and increase their earnings without facing immediate penalty or reduction in their benefits amount received. Benefits may be reduced after a pre-determined time period, such as 6 or 12 months.

Programs designed to advance educational attainment or build occupational skills and experience needed to enter an occupational field. Education and training outcomes involve the attainment of a degree or credential.

Services provided at the place of employment or by the employer to participants while they are working to support employment retention and career goal achievement. Services include program staff working with employers to identify additional training needed for participants to achieve competency in assigned work tasks or helping participants access retention strategies offered by the employer, such as workplace mentoring or work-life balance services.

Ongoing collaborative assistance with setting and pursuing goals related to employment. Coaching typically is a participant-led process that involves identifying and addressing employment barriers, building motivation, and working towards self-defined employment goals.

Services designed to support participants who already have a job.

Services to help participants make informed decisions about their financial resources, such as providing information on budgeting or loans. These services may also be referred to as financial literacy or financial training.

Services to support the physical, behavioral, or mental health of participants.

Services to help participants find, secure, and maintain safe housing, including housing search assistance and money or vouchers to cover rent and other housing costs. Housing search assistance and rental assistance payments may be provided by government or other entities, such as community-based organizations.

Occupational training designed in collaboration with employers and offered to existing employees to help with upskilling, reskilling, and retention during equipment or process changes. This training is designed to keep pace with industry changes and reduce costs associated with hiring new workers. May take place at work or at an off-site location, such as a training provider.

Contextualized Adult Basic Education (ABE) and/or English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction that prepares learners to succeed in specific occupational training classes and contexts. Courses may be completed prior to enrollment in occupational skills training or may co-occur with that training.

Activities related to program staff working with employers to identify existing or prospective job openings. Staff may work with employers to modify job postings to more closely align with needed or required skills, contact employers to probe about desired employee traits, call or visit employers to inquire about the status of current openings, or prime employers to accept applications from participants.

Activities to connect participants to employer job openings. This can include meeting with employers to identify appropriate positions that match program participants' skills and routing qualified program participants to these employers' job openings.

Services designed to help prepare participants for job search and prospective employment, including assessments to identify employment barriers, assessments of skills and career interests, and developing an individual employment plan or employment goals.

Activities that help participants prepare for, search for, and be placed in jobs. Activities can involve both program participants and employers.

Assistance helping participants identify potential sectors, occupations, employers, and jobs. Includes helping participants prepare applications, resumes, and cover letters; prepare for interviews; and debriefing after an interview or rejection of an application.

Free or low-cost services to help address legal barriers to employment, including those related to past or current involvement with the justice system.

Inpatient or outpatient services to support or treat participants for mental health diagnoses. Services may include referrals for assessment, medication, counseling, or residential treatment.

Training associated with the development of skills needed in a particular occupation, industry, or sector. May culminate in receipt of an industry-recognized certificate, licensure, or credential.

A form of occupational training in which pre-determined occupational skills are learned while working on the job. This typically involves an agreement between a provider and an employer that subsidizes all or part of the participant’s wages. Participants work for an approved employer in an approved occupation to learn specific skills over a set period of time. Employers may choose to hire the participant without the wage subsidy at the end of their training.

Short-term, paid work experience designed by employers to orient participants to occupations within an industry, receive mentorship, and gain exposure to workplace culture. Internships may vary in length and are sometimes associated with young adults but are provided to other populations as well. Wages are paid by the employer.

Strategies that allow participants or former participants to give and receive help from one another. These strategies often connect participants with similar challenges to provide support in a non-clinical, non-hierarchical relationship.

Payments that participants receive for engaging in a specific activity or achieving a certain goal. These payments may also be used to incentivize continued program participation.

Personalized assistance provided by a staff person—such as a case manager, counselor, coach, navigator, or employment specialist—or another program participant who helps assess needs, refers or directly provides services to participants, and helps participants remain in compliance with program requirements (if appropriate). Although assistance is typically delivered one-on-one, it can be delivered in group settings as well.

Services to support the physical health of participants. Services may include referrals to medical providers, community clinics, or medical debt relief programs or benefits.

Ongoing support provided directly to participants by program staff after a participant is employed to help them navigate issues or difficulties arising at work, manage barriers to their continued success, assess progress towards goals, or monitor job attendance.

Training designed to prepare participants to enter registered apprenticeship programs.

Training in skills such as punctuality, professional communications and conduct, professional dress, and conflict management.

Financial support for time commitments associated with program activities to enable continued participation (e.g., support to accommodate reduced work hours or increased childcare hours due to training programs or meetings with program staff).

Temporary or short-term employment in which a worker’s wages are partially or fully paid for by an external funder (not the employer). Those engaged in subsidized employment or transitional jobs may have little to no recent work experience or history and may use the subsidized experience to learn basic employment skills. Employers may choose to hire workers at the end of their subsidized employment.

In-kind assistance often provided to address participants’ barriers to employment or program participation.

Cash or like-cash financial assistance with transportation costs to work, school, training, or program activities. May include gas cards, public transportation cards, tokens, parking vouchers, or credits or reimbursement for ride-sharing services.

Inpatient or outpatient services to treat substance use disorder and/or provide supports for recovery. Services may include referrals to medication assisted treatment, counseling, peer recovery coaching, and residential treatment.

Financial contributions or assistance towards the costs of attending education or training courses. Can be provided in advance or reimbursed after courses have been completed.

Monetary support that provides a pre-established payment, usually in the form of cash, with no conditions for receiving the payment and no expectations attached for how the money is to be used.

Work that is unpaid, such as community service jobs. May be used for participants who have limited to no work history. Often short-term, these placements are typically designed to orient participants to entry-level occupations and to provide exposure to workplace culture.

Paid or unpaid work or learning experiences that occur in a work setting.

In-kind supports needed for program participants to participate in training or work. These supports can include—but are not limited to—uniforms, laptops, tools, and other equipment.