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EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
8/11/04
Marva Scott, Co-Chair of the committee welcomed attendees. Minutes from the 6/9/04 meeting were approved with no revision. Ms. Scott asked for a volunteer to take minutes of the 9/8/04 meeting. Deena Woodruff volunteered. Beginning in September, the Employment Programs Committee will move its meeting time to 1:30-3:30. Unless otherwise notified, the meeting will continue to be in Room 864 of the Albemarle Building. Several other Directors' Association committee meetings will alter their meeting times so that Directors will have the opportunity to attend several meetings.
Doug Elliott, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program Coordinator with the Employment Security Commission presented information and written material about the WOTC. This is a tax credit available to employers who hire targeted groups, many of whom are the people DSS serves. Of those certified for employers-certification is done through Mr. Elliott's staff at ESC-35% are Food Stamp recipients, 71% are Work First recipients, 6% are clients of DVR and 9% are ex-felons. The tax credit significantly reduces employer's taxes. The WOTC can be used as a placement tool; it benefits the employer dollar for dollar. There is a 15 year carry-forward. Although the tax credit is designed for small employers, it is primarily used by the big employers like Wal-Mart. In 2003 there was a potential $52,000,000 available in WOTC for NC. The 8850-requesting certification of a new hire must be post marked within 21 days of the job beginning. There is no cap on the number of people eligible for WOTC that an employer can hire. A question was asked about if the statistics could be broken out by county and Mr. Elliott said yes, but he couldn't provide a listing of employer's names. Another question was asked about how temporary agencies fit and Mr. Elliott said that they do qualify with the 400 hour temp-to-hire jobs. For further information and forms please visit the website- www.ows.doleta.gov/employ/tax.asp.
Wayne Black, Co-Chair distributed minutes of the June meeting, the agenda of today's meeting, the Committee's Scope of Work and the Draft MOA between DSS and DVR.
Old Business -
• The Work First caseload went up 64 from July to August. In July it was 37,258 and increased to 37,322 in August.
• CAREER START-David Prince reported that in a survey to the 15 counties that are piloting CAREER START (labor surplus areas) the response was that communication is good between ESC and the Community Colleges. 18 counties will be added in September. In the largest two new counties, Cumberland and Wake, not all mandatory participants will go CAREER START-the rest will stay in E & T. There will be a meeting on 8/12 at UNC who will do the official evaluation of the program. After 9/05, more counties may be added.
• DSS/DVR MOA-Terry Fish of DVR ask the committee to please mark the proposed MOA as “Draft”, and please not to copy it or send it out as this is not the finished document. Overall, the response to the “Draft” was very positive. Several committee members mentioned how the medical form that many counties use is a big issue. The state office is working on a revised medical form. As a note of clarification, if a Work First client is working in a Community Rehab Program and being paid, that money must be counted as income if taxes are being taken out. Another issue that was noted was which agency would pay for certain client participation expenses and the answer is that is decided case by case at the local level. It is hoped that the final MOA will be out by 9/1.
New Business
• Update on WF Policy Revisions-The new Sanction implementation is waiting on automation; it may begin by 10/01. Clients will be notified by an insert in the WF checks. There was considerable discussion about the SIS users update that stated that effective 9/1 WF clients receiving transportation assistance should be opened in SIS. This is apparently being done to track transportation services. There was a unanimous agreement among county staff that there were much easier methods to track client transportation. The committee voted to have the Co-Chairmen take their concerns to the Executive Board meeting on 8/12.
• Development of State Plan-County plans are due on 11/1.
• Community Employment Case Manager-This was a temporary classification that the Office of State Personnel wants to know is counties are utilizing. The OSP is only aware of two counties that use this Level 65 classification; however, two additional counties were identified within the committee. The Committee felt the classification should continue.
• Scope of Work-Reviewed by the Committee and noted that # 8,9,10 and 11 were added under Short-term goals.
• General Discussion-Nancy Brandt asked for clarification about the Employment Programs Committee and Economic Services Committee. And why they are separate when they have many issues in common. Discussion about this issue will be shared with the Executive Committee on 8/12.
The meeting was adjourned with the reminder that the September meeting is on 9/8 from 1:30-3:30.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bobbi Bales
