Central to the purpose of the TEA program is an individualized approach to employment services. An individual Employment Plan is developed for each TEA participant based on his or her individual and family circumstances. Therefore, the process of working with the customer in employment related activities should, to the maximum extent possible, be geared to the specific needs and circumstances of that individual and family. It is the intent of the policy and procedures described in the following sections to provide county office staff with as much flexibility as possible in making decisions regarding the most appropriate work activities and supportive services which will lead clients to successful outcomes. It is not the intent of the policy or procedures to direct any set order of activities following assessment nor to hinder the county office in developing creative and innovative approaches in the delivery of employment services.

In conjunction with an individualized approach, focus must be placed on the time-limited nature of the program. Most recipients will have a maximum of twenty-four months to attain some level of self-support before cash assistance is terminated. Some may have even a shorter time depending upon past periods of TEA receipt. Therefore, it is critical that the worker and customer are always aware of where the family is in terms of the time-limit and make decisions which are consistent with that. For example, if a family has only two or three months remaining before the time-limit expires, job search or subsidized employment would probably be a more appropriate activity than vocational education training.

An Employability Assessment and Educational Assessment (TABE) will be conducted for each appropriate individual following case approval, unless the TEA case record contains an employability and educational assessment that was completed within the last six (6) months. No new assessment will be required in that situation. However, if the caseworker determines either a new employability or educational assessment is needed, one should be completed. Beyond the Educational Assessment (TABE), the level and type of assessment will be left to the discretion of the worker based on the individual’s circumstances. The case record will be documented to clearly reflect the type of assessment made and the rationale for it. Form DCO-1402, TEA Skills, Employability, and Intake Assessment Background Information, will be completed during the assessment.  Please see TEA 3140 for more detailed information as to what should be addressed in the assessment.

An Employability Assessment may be conducted during the application interview, at any time while the application is pending, or after application approval. When appropriate, the Skills Assessment form may be accepted as the employability assessment. Form DCO-1402 may also be used as the assessment tool. 

NOTE: TABE testing may be completed during the application period provided the applicant does not need supportive services, e.g. transportation or child care to take the TABE.  See [TEA 2004.2]

The purpose of the employability assessment is to identify the individual's readiness for employment so that a realistic Employment Plan can be developed. In two-parent families, one parent may be deferred from engaging in work requirements to care for the children. (Note: If Federally funded child care assistance is provided, both parents must be engaged.) It will be determined during the joint employability assessment if such a deferral is appropriate and if so, which parent will be deferred.

During the employability assessment, the worker presents an overview of the program, gathers pertinent case information, and identifies life conditions which, if not addressed, may prevent the family from becoming self-supporting through employment. The assessment should be designed to identify the following:

• Employment history/work experience
• Educational attainment/literacy level

TABE testing will be provided for through an agreement (MOU) between the Division of County Operations and the Department of Workforce Education.

• Job skills/interests

                  *A referral to DWE Adult Education for a Career Scope

Assessments may be made in the counties where it is available. A Career Scope assessment is used to measure and identify an individual's job aptitude and interests.

• Family situation/circumstances
• Supportive Service needs; if any
• Personal Attributes, Personal traits which help or hinder employment.

The Employment Plan is a written document which specifies a series of actions necessary for the adult to accept and retain permanent full-time employment. Even though the worker and client will jointly develop the Employment Plan, the final determination of the plan content will rest with the worker.

During the development of the Employment Plan, the worker should also direct some discussion toward the client’s future goals. Although the focus of the plan is on more immediate goals and actions, the client should be encouraged to think about what he or she envisions doing next year or the year after that. This type of discussion could help the client start looking to the future, particularly to the time when cash assistance may no longer be available to the family.

The purpose of updating the Employment Plan is to see what progress the customer is making, to identify and resolve any additional needs he or she may have, and to remind him or her of where the family is in terms of the time limit. If needed, at the completion of a work activity, an Employment Plan update should be conducted to determine the next appropriate step(s) for the participant. Therefore, the frequency of the update should be geared to the individual client, but it is recommended that an update be made at least every six months.

The Micro-enterprise activity is designed to allow individuals to engage in self-employment enterprises. It may include individuals who are already self-employed, those wanting to expand a self-employment enterprise, and those expressing an interest in developing and starting a Micro-enterprise.

Micro-enterprise activities may include but are not limited to:

• receiving instructions on the development of a business plan;

• working in a self-employment business; or

• participating in a micro-lending program and associated activities.

A Micro-lending program is one that provides training, technical assistance and loan funds to low-income entrepreneurs to start or expand a business venture.

As part of the micro-enterprise program, individuals will be allowed to escrow profits into an escrow account (Refer to TEA 3223.2).

Discussion with Client

The Case Manager will discuss micro-enterprise activities with the recipient. If he or she indicates an interest in developing a business, the Case Manager will discuss the requirements of the program that will include the completion of a micro-enterprise assessment packet. During the assessment interview, the Case Manager will work with the client to determine his or her goals. The Case Manager will explain the availability of agencies in the area, which offer basic business skills training.

The Case Manager will assist the client in the completion of the assessment packet and, if appropriate, refer the client to a micro-lending agency or Small Business Administration (SBA). The Case Manager will also coordinate with the micro-lending agency or SBA for technical assistance with completion of the assessment packet.

Assessment Packet

Each county office will be responsible for coordinating with a local micro-lending agency or SBA to obtain or develop a micro-enterprise assessment packet to be completed by recipients interested in the micro-enterprise activity.

The assessment packet will include the following information:

• Business Summary – provides an overview of why the individual wants to enter into a business, the type of services or products the business provides and the goals and objectives that he or she may have for the business.

• Marketing Plan – identifies the area to be served, pricing and sales strategies and how the business will be promoted.

• Production Plan – identifies and describes how business products and services can be produced and made available to the customers.

• Financial Summary – is an overview of the projected cost for operating a business (e.g., cash flow, start-up costs, etc.) to achieve a profit.

• Narrative – summarizes the individual’s goals and objectives and explains why he or she is committed to making a success in the business venture.

The recipient must complete the assessment packet to participate in a micro-enterprise activity. The Case Manager will assist the client in the completion of the packet. If determined appropriate, the client will be referred to a local micro-lending agency or SBA. (Refer to TEA 3223.1)

The purpose of the escrow account is to allow the individual to set aside a percent of his or her profits for future use (e.g., expand business, update equipment, make repairs, etc.).

The OJT work activity is designed to provide customers with training that will be essential to permanent employment. Under OJT, the person is hired by a private or public employer.  While engaged in productive work, the client receives training that provides knowledge or skills essential to the performance of that job.

Customers in this work activity will receive training and supervision in an occupation for which an employer would normally hire skilled workers. While participating in OJT, the person will be paid at the same rate as other employees performing the same or similar jobs.

The County Office may develop its own OJT worksites or accept placements at worksites developed by other agencies (JTPA, Re-hab sheltered workshops, Summer Youth programs, Community Action programs, etc.). Participants must comply with all worksite requirements in order to be in compliance with TEA.  Failure to be in compliance without good cause could result in imposition of the non-compliance sanction.

At worksites developed by the County Office, up to half of the wages paid by the employer may be reimbursed by the TEA program.

Note: For more detailed information on worksite development refer to TEA Policy 6032.

Persons engaged in this work activity may include those (1) for whom no major personal or family problems were identified and who are job ready; (2) who have limited or no job search knowledge or skills; (3) who have limited or no recent employment; and (4) those who the case worker thinks would benefit from this work activity.

The Group Job Search activity consists of (1) Job Club and (2) Assisted Job Search. Job Club participants are provided group employment counseling and instructions on effective job search and interview techniques followed by a period of assisted job search activities.

Each county may require up to one week (5 work days) of Job Club activities prior to clients undertaking assisted job search activities. There is no minimum amount of time required for Job Club. However, the total time in Job Club and Assisted Job Search are subject to the maximum specified in TEA 3230. Activities to be taught in these sessions include, but are not limited to: motivational exercises, job seeking techniques, resume and job application preparation, mock interviews, and telephone techniques.

The Group Job Search Lesson Plan will be approved at the County Office level. The manner in which Group Job Search will be handled (e.g., number of days, number of hours, activities for classroom instruction, conducted in-house by DHS or negotiated out to another agency or organization such as JTPA, Cooperative Extension, Homemaker Services, ESD, etc.) will be fully explained in this plan.

Work Experience Training is designed to allow participants to develop employment/job skills and improve work habits through time-limited unsalaried job training at a clearly defined, well supervised training site under an agreement between the trainer and the County Office or other community service agency (e.g. JTPA or WtW). Employment/job skills to be taught include but are not limited to: learning how to follow instructions and take orders, the importance of getting to work on time, learning how to dress for the job, learning how to work with others, learning to work dependably, improving work habits, improving one’s self-image, etc. In addition, the participant may also receive vocational training in a specified area.

The DHS County Office will not develop training sites for Community Service and will not enter into any Community Service agreement. However, if a TEA client is engaged in a Community Service activity through another agency or organization (e.g., Community Punishment, Rehabilitative Services, JTPA, WtW, etc.), then those hours of Community Service may be counted toward the person’s TEA participation requirements.

Participation in Community Service enables clients with limited or no experience to learn valuable work habits and socialization skills which employers require of their workers. Community Service activities are performed with a government entity (city, county or state), or community and charitable organizations. As with Work Experience Training, clients engaged in Community Service are involved in developing skills and work habits through training. But unlike Work Experience Training, Community Service need not be tied to one employer/ training site or specific job duties (required Community Service activities could take place in several locations, consist of one training site one day and another on the next day, etc.).

Education and training includes Basic Education, Vocational Education Training, Job Skills Training and other Post Secondary Training. Education and training should be linked with other work activities to meet a client’s participation requirement. The proportion of education, training and other work activity hours should be determined on an individualized basis in the best interest of the client.

Basic education includes educational services such as Adult Basic Education, literacy, GED, English as a Second Language and Remedial Education.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding with Arkansas Education Cooperative’s Office of Adult Learning Technology (OALT), TEA customers engaged in Education may be given an alternative to the traditional classroom setting by accessing educational activities via television broadcasts. Services offered by OALT include four types of programs; GED-ON-TV, for persons functioning at the ninth grade level or above; Learn-To-Read, for those functioning at the third grade level or below; Another Page, for persons  functioning between fourth and eighth grade levels; and Math Basic, for those functioning at an eighth grade math level or below.

For information on referring a participant, please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding between OALT and DHS. A copy should be available in each county office.

Vocational Educational Training is post-secondary education, including at least, programs at two (2) or four (4) year colleges, universities, technical institutes and vocational schools or training in a field directly related to a specified occupation. The vocational training must meet the "Demand Occupation" requirements specified in TEA 3252.1.

Vocational Education Training Participation

Activities that may count toward participation hours include: classroom hours, lab time, and study time (for each hour of classroom time, the client will be credited with one hour of study time toward participation). To be in compliance with Voc/ Ed Training, the client must attend classes in accordance with the school’s requirements for satisfactory attendance. Attendance will be verified bi-monthly. Travel time to and from school is excluded as an activity for counting toward participation hours.

Clients engaged in Vocational Education for less than the minimum number of participation hours specified in TEA 3201 must be engaged in another work activity. Participants may be required to engage in internships, work experience or employment. Work requirements shall not exceed fifteen (15) hours per week.

When reporting work participation hours, the worker should report the actual hours the client is scheduled to participate in the activity. Over and under reporting of participation hours should be avoided.

Other post secondary education is education past the high school level that does not fall under the definition of vocational education training. Such education includes courses leading to a 2 or 4-year degree, or a 5-year teaching degree.