Providing Employment and Training Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons From the Field

The economic shocks associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency, along with the recommended social distancing and stay-at-home orders, have dramatically reshaped the approach social service programs are taking to support employment for people with low incomes. In this webinar, leaders from three employment and training programs described their approaches to continuing training programs and other employment services during the pandemic. These programs participated in the State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Case Studies project, which Mathematica and MEF Associates are conducting for the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. The project explores different approaches to providing employment-related and supportive services to TANF recipients and other people with low incomes. During this event, the panelists discussed: the operational implications that the public health emergency had for their programs; how people are balancing participating in employment services with competing life demands and the suspension of supportive services such as child care; the implications of shifting labor market conditions.

The featured speakers included a state TANF administrator, the director of programs and systems for a community-based nonprofit, and the operations director of a community action agency.

Panelists included:

• Molly Kruger, director of programs and systems, Climb Wyoming
• Kimberly Rauch, Rhode Island Works/TANF administrator, Rhode Island Works
• Luanne Valentine, operations director, Community Action Organization of Scioto County

The event was moderated by Asaph Glosser, principal associate, MEF Associates. This webinar was sponsored by the State TANF Case Studies project. The project officer is Girley Wright, a senior program analyst with the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families.