Fact Sheets on Family Economic Success from the Annie E. Casey Foundation

From LiteracyTentWiki

Fact Sheets Describe Strategies for Building Family Economic Success (FES)

A new series of information sheets briefly outline the Foundation's strategies for helping low-income families build financial stability. The one-pager topics include: Centers for Working Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Financial Planning and Education, Financial Services, the High Cost of Being Poor, Homeownership and Predatory Lending, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and Other Saving Tools, Workforce Development, and Work Supports. These strategies are all represented in the Foundation's grantmaking agenda.

For example, the fact sheet on Workforce Development and FES summarizes what some of the main things are that were learned from the Jobs Initiative project. Here's an excerpt:

"Through the Jobs Initiative and other efforts in workforce development, several important principles have emerged that should guide workforce development efforts in the years ahead:

■ Attention must be paid to the role of race and cultural competence in the workforce field.

■ Workforce “intermediary organizations” – local agencies capable of convening and coordinating the efforts of employers, service providers and job seekers – can be invaluable in bringing together key partners and in developing and sustaining effective workforce development programs for job seekers with limited skills and experience.

■ Long-term retention (12 months of steady work) is a critical measure of success. “Job readiness” services are a crucial tool to help the least job-ready workers achieve a three-month retention, but “hard skills” (i.e., job-specific training) is the most important factor for achieving 12-month retention. Also, access to employer-subsidized health and leave benefits results in higher retention rates.

■ Data are a crucial tool for strengthening program and policy outcomes. Data can be used to assess labor market opportunities, as a management tool to improve program performance, and to influence state and federal workforce policy on behalf of working poor families."