Gov. Doyle: Announces transitional jobs project

Contacts: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162

Erika Monroe-Kane, 608-266-9000

$34 Million Pilot Program will Help Thousands of Residents Re-Enter the Workforce

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced a $34 million Transitional Jobs project to help thousands of people across the state gain skills and re-enter the workforce. The pilot program is funded by Recovery Act funding provided to the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

“The Transitional Jobs Project will help us work toward my number one priority this year – helping our businesses create jobs and giving our workers the opportunities to get those jobs,” Governor Doyle said. “This innovative program will work closely with communities throughout the state to help workers gain important job skills to re-enter the workforce and find good, family-supporting jobs.”

In his latest state budget, Governor Doyle directed the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to create the Transitional Jobs program. The Transitional Jobs Demonstration Project provides new opportunities to equip workers with the skills they need to enter the workforce.

Transitional Jobs targets Wisconsin residents who are not eligible for working family assistance through the state’s W-2 program, including fathers without custody of their children or young adults exiting the foster care system. The program focuses on building partnerships with local organizations to help individuals acquire new skills and work experience.

The Department of Children and Families will work closely with 17 local organizations to carry out the pilot project in 38 counties, with the possibility of future expansion throughout the state. The Transitional Jobs program builds on the success of similar programs throughout the nation.

The transitional jobs program continues Governor Doyle’s record of supporting hardworking Wisconsin families and investing in worker training. To support strong Wisconsin children and families, Governor Doyle created the Department of Children and Families in 2008 – Wisconsin’s first cabinet agency devoted exclusively to helping and protecting kids and families of the state. The agency unified more than 30 services, including W-2, to provide seamless services and ensure all Wisconsin children grow up safe, healthy and with the support of strong families.

Under Governor Doyle’s leadership, Wisconsin has ensured every child has access to health care, doubled the number of parents with access to four-year-old kindergarten, expanded school breakfast programs, strengthened the foster care system, and invested nearly $40 million to better ensure the safety of children receiving care from the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare.

Since taking office, Governor Doyle has worked hard to build Wisconsin’s economy and create new jobs, including signing the Wisconsin CORE Jobs Act earlier this year, which builds on successful manufacturing and worker training programs. The budget the Governor signed last year enacted the most powerful economic development tools in the country to help manufacturers create and retain jobs. The Governor’s Administration has also helped workers struggling because of the national recession by providing unemployment assistance and training, health care and food assistance.