Keywords
employer, Tanf, training programs, public policy
Abstract
The article begins by stating that several programs have been introduced with the goal of lowering the amount of people that live below the poverty level. These programs try to accomplish this by focusing on getting such people jobs, but the focus cannot solely be on workers, it must also be on employers. One type of training that shows promise is Employer-based training, which involves an extensive assessment of the employees skills and job performance, and there are indications that EBT programs might offer better opportunities for at least a segment of the welfare population. The article's goal is to investigate the strength and weaknesses of EBT programs and to consider whether it is desirable for such programs to be supported by TANF reauthorization. Part I of the article describes public sector training and education programs before PRWORA (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996) as well as their philosophical underpinnings and Part II explores training in the private sector and considers the theory behind private sector training advanced in economic literature, and also describes EBT and considers their viability as an alternative to public sector training programs. Part III considers the theoretical and practical limitations of workforce training as a solution to poverty. Part IV considers how EBT programs can be supported through public policy. The article concludes by stating that the goal is to decrease poverty and once that begins to be reached the focus must shift to increased financial stability for those formerly below the poverty line and Employee Based Training is one way of potentially achieving that goal.
Recommended Citation
Nan S. Ellis,
Employer-Based Training Programs For Tanf Recipients: A Public Policy Examination,
32 Fordham Urb. L.J. 589
(2005).
Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol32/iss3/6