Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 26, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kristin Alexander, Employment Security Department, 360-902-9307

Gov. Gary Locke Announces New Statewide Welfare-to-Work Effort

Gov. Gary Locke today announced new welfare-to-work strategies within the state’s WorkFirst program to help struggling parents climb the success ladder more quickly and leave welfare for good.

The new services, collectively referred to as the Targeted Wage Initiative (TWI), steer WorkFirst customers to jobs that pay well and help them advance in their careers so they can better support their families.

“Six years into welfare reform, WorkFirst’s goal of assisting families along the path to ‘a job, a better job, and a better life’ remains the same,” Locke said. “The Targeted Wage Initiative strives to make each entry-level job a better-paying one. It’s meant to be a bigger first step, a quicker journey to financial freedom.”

At the core of TWI are enhancements to the state’s Job Search program that prepares WorkFirst participants for work. They include new assessment tools to better determine WorkFirst customers’ skills and interests and new curriculum to teach participants how to conduct a targeted job search. Job service specialists use this information in conjunction with local labor market data to assist customers in finding and retaining employment.

WorkFirst is expanding the new Job Search model statewide in phases this summer following a promising pilot program. While measurable results are still forthcoming, early outcomes show an increase in morale and program participation.

“Our WorkFirst clients have a more positive outlook,” said Cathy Swanson, supervisor of the WorkFirst office in Federal Way. “By assessing their work skills early on, they’re able to better focus on their goals and actually plan a career. They’re also more accountable for their success.”

TWI was developed after considering suggestions from WorkFirst participants, employers, staff and advocates for low-income families. It expands on the Job Search improvements by providing additional training opportunities to prepare customers for work, stepping up outreach to businesses, and offering employment-centered case management from the time a person applies for welfare assistance.

The program is designed to last up to 12 weeks. Customers follow different paths depending on how ready they are to enter the workforce.

Aberdeen, Spokane, Federal Way and Walla Walla were the first to begin implementing the new services in January 2003 as part of a pilot. Other communities came on board this summer.

New training programs to complement and enhance Job Search services are now offered at community colleges in Aberdeen, Bellingham, Centralia, Kelso, Spokane and Yakima. Classes are expected to be available soon in Everett, Lynnwood, Olympia, Renton, Seattle and Walla Walla.

By year’s end, most WorkFirst offices statewide will have adopted all or some TWI services, depending on local resources and customer needs.

The number of families on welfare in Washington has dropped 43 percent since WorkFirst began, from nearly 97,000 in 1997 to 55,000 in June 2003. More than 132,000 parents have left welfare and stayed off – a number nearly equivalent to the combined populations of Everett, Pasco and Long Beach. The proportion of people on welfare in Washington is at its lowest point in more than 30 years, with slightly more than 2 percent of families receiving assistance.

WorkFirst services are administered by the following state agencies: Department of Social and Health Services; Employment Security Department; Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development; and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Additional information about WorkFirst and the Targeted Wage Initiative is available online at www.workfirst.wa.gov.

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Related sites: www.governor.wa.gov

Editor’s Note: For information about local TWI efforts, contact the following staff in each community:

Aberdeen: Jo Vanucie, (360) 538-2385

Bellingham: Ronnie-Sue Johnson, (360) 714-4230

Centralia/Chehalis: Sandy Crews, (360) 740-6881

Everett: Rebecca Mulhollen, (425) 339-4014

Federal Way: Cathy Swanson, (253) 835-2930

Kelso: June Trusty, (360) 578-4222

Kent: Goldy Walia, (253) 372-6144

Seattle (Rainier District): Millicent Blocquer, (206) 721-5987

Spokane: Albert Garza, (509) 532-3029

Olympia: Janet Olson, (360) 725-6910

Yakima County: Darla Holwegner, (509) 225-6145

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