Just a year after its implementation, 12,000 participants of Wisconsin’s FoodShare Employment and Training program were successfully employed.
According to a Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ report, the number of successfully employed participants increased from 250 in March 2015, when the program began, to nearly 12,000 in April 2016.
DHS spokesperson Jennifer Miller said FSET is a free program that helps FoodShare members build their job skills and find jobs. Under state law, this program is a requirement for able-bodied people between the ages of 18 and 49 years old. They must take part in it otherwise they could lose FoodShare benefits for three years.
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Miller said the program creates customized plans of activities involving education, vocational training and other support to help participants find employment and transition to the workforce. Each participant is individually assessed to create their employment plan.
“The employment plan identifies the FSET program activities that the FSET participant will engage in to achieve the goals identified in their employment plan,” Miller said.
According to a statement from DHS, more than 100,000 FoodShare members have been referred to the FSET program and around 30,000 have enrolled in it. DHS Secretary Kitty Rhoades said the success of the program will help grow Wisconsin’s economy, expand employment opportunities and encourage more people to work.
DHS regulates seven FSET agencies, which serve 11 regions in Wisconsin, Miller said.
Gov. Scott Walker invested more than $60 million in the program. According to a statement, before the FSET program was implemented, there was no consistency in workforce development programs like FSET. Now, it is much easier to coordinate with local employers and make the program cohesive across the state, he said.
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Walker said FSET’s implementation has resulted in “more jobs, better work experience opportunities and stronger communities.”
“We will continue to invest in this important program and work with the Department of Health Services to ensure it is operating at good value for Wisconsin’s taxpayers,” Walker said.