***For Immediate Release***
December 22, 2016
Contact, Jeff Sheldon
Communications Director, Nebraska Appleseed
Office: (402) 438-8853
Mobile: (402) 840-7289
Email: jsheldon@neappleseed.org
New Report: Nebraska can improve job training for hard-working people
Opportunities to invest in skills training would help families get ahead, boost economy
LINCOLN — Helping hard-working families lift themselves out of poverty means making sure they have the training and skills to get a good job so they can transition off of public assistance programs.
However, Nebraska should be doing more to train working people for the good jobs that both fit the needs of our economy and ensure families can get ahead, says a new report from Nebraska Appleseed.
The report, “SNAP Employment and Training: Opportunities for Growth in Nebraska,” illustrates that less than 1 percent of Nebraskans who receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are able to participate in the state’s Employment and Training program for SNAP clients. This modest job-training program only serves a small number of clients in central Nebraska.
“Right now, Nebraska’s job training and placement program for people who are eligible for food assistance only serves a small fraction of the hard-working people who want to work toward a better job,” said Nebraska Appleseed Staff Attorney Ken Smith, the report’s author. “We’re missing out on a significant opportunity to train Nebraska workers and connect them to good jobs that let their families get ahead and boost our state’s economy.”
The report outlines how Nebraska should follow the lead of other states that are maximizing the opportunity of workforce development so all hard-working Nebraskans can find quality jobs that pay a family-supporting wage.
Other states have pursued federal funding and partnered with local colleges and nonprofits to create a more robust training program that builds job skills and ultimately gets workers into better jobs that pay good wages.
The report recommends several ways Nebraska can improve Employment and Training:
- Take advantage of federal employment and training funding to expand job training
- Coordinate with state and local workforce development boards
- Use third-party partnerships with colleges and other groups that could receive federal reimbursement for job training.
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