Policy                                                                       Issuance Number: TEA 98-10

Transitional Employment Assistance Manual      Issuance Date: July 10, 1998

From: Ruth Whitney, Director                                       Expiration Date: Until Superseded

Subj: Revised Policy

Pages to be Deleted          Date                                                   Pages to be Added                        Date  

TEA 3240- 3260       7/1/97                                                 TEA 3240-3260                7/10/98   Pages 107-110                                                                                     Pages 107-110                                              

TEA 6030-6032        7/1/97                                                            TEA 6030-6032                   7/10/98           Pages 173-174                                                                     Pages 173-174 a                                                                                                                                                     

Summary

The above policy sections have been revised to allow Work Experience and Community Service to be operated as separate TEA Work Activities. The purpose of this is to establish Work Experience as strictly a training experience. Community Services, on the other hand, is usually more of an actual “work” activity with little or no training aspects involved. Because of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) considerations related to Community Service, it has also been decided that DHS will not develop Community Service worksites. However, we will accept Community Services worksite placements from other organizations (e.g. JTPA, WtW, Re-hab, court ordered, etc.) as an individual’s TEA activity. (Trainees are not subject to the FLSA. Therefore, the FLSA is not a factor in Work Experience training.)

Work Experience Training policy has also been revised to all for-profit employers to serve as Work Experience training sites. 

Please note the following regarding Work Experience work site development: Whenever possible, counties are encouraged to develop work sites with not-for profit employers instead of for-profit employers. When developing sites with for-profit employers, particular attention should be paid to the guidelines and procedures that have been developed for Work Experience Training (See TEA policy 6031). It must be emphasized that, our purpose is not to develop make work assignments or provide a free labor pool for employers. It must be emphasized to potential training sites, that the purpose of Work Experience is to provide meaningful employment job skill training to assist clients in securing permanent full-time employment. Counties are also encouraged to explore using a for- profit employer in a capacity other than Work Experience whenever possible. (For example, when working with an employer such as a nursing home, an OJT or Subsidized Employment placement would be preferred over a Work Experience placement.)

If you have any questions, please contact your Program Support Specialist.

Inquiries to:  Linda Greer, TEA Unit, 682-8257

                      Lorie Williams, TEA Unit, 682-8256

                      Ron Johnson, TEA Unit, 682-8182

                      Renee Green, TEA Unit, 682-8266