* Respond collaborates with our peers under the umbrella of the Community Planning & Advocacy Council’s Employment Partnership, a group of more than forty providers, public and private, who share concern around issues relating to employment and training, career development and family economic independence. Respond has been the lead agency for development and submission of several proposals for federal, state, and local grant funding including the initiative that established the NWC in 1998.
* Programs at the NWC teach employability skills, and implement other initiatives for adult recipients of welfare assistance under Work First New Jersey for both TANF families and GA (single adults).
* Invest in on-the-job training for parents leaving welfare through placements in the Community Work Experience Program (CWEP) model.
*Respond has been a leader in providing employability services for welfare reform initiatives since 1993 when the agency was selected by the State of New Jersey to be the lead agency for the General Assistance/Family Development Program in Camden City.
*From the consortium of agencies that provided services in the initial GA/FDP program through the development of The Employment Partnership of Camden County, Respond’s approach to service delivery has been both comprehensive and proactive.
* Respond and its partners in the Employment Partnership work closely with the Camden County Workforce Investment Board, the County Board of Social Services, the One Stop, and the Employment Service to develop and fine tune benchmarks and program standards that will allow for a seamless system of service delivery to customers in Camden County. Programs are designed not only to meet the federal requirements of welfare reform legislation but also to mirror other national efforts that seek a common approach to all workforce development.
* The staff members at The New Worker Center come from a variety of backgrounds and specialties, and each is attuned to the “Whatever It Takes” philosophy of working with participants and families. Staffing patterns have been adjusted to meet the needs of our customers. Hiring preference is always given to persons who have personal knowledge of welfare. Staff training occurs on a daily basis for programmatic information and participant needs. It is also important to note that we have broader support for our participants from many peer agencies and additional Respond programs having certified teachers, family workers, licensed social workers, substance abuse counselors, housing specialists and volunteers.
* Since September of 1999, there have been more than 100 different workshops held at The New Worker Center on a variety of topics. Presentation times vary from morning to late afternoon to early evening, and many are repeated as new information is available and as new participants come into the program. Detailed flyers are distributed through peer agencies and in the Lanning Square neighborhood.
Workshops on a variety of topics open to community residents
The New Worker Center was headquarters for the U.S. Bureau of the Census during hiring and for training workers for the 2000 Census, and is also a neighborhood VITA site for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
*Programs at The New Worker Center go “outside the box” in service delivery, offering training and resources during nontraditional hours, and providing on site child care and light meals for those coming for center activities after work, and always through collaboration and partnership with our peers.
From the beginning, NWC programs have concentrated on evaluation. Program participants complete evaluations of each phase of their program activity, with results used to make changes or to reinforce existing designs. Support groups meet weekly, and focus groups are conducted quarterly by CPAC, with published reports. A new client tracking system is being developed and will be available for use in our New Worker Center programs.
There are many variables affecting successful outcomes for our participants. Not all who come through our doors are ready to take on the monumental changes that are necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. For the past year, we have worked with many sanctioned clients. Outcomes are measured in individual success, concentrating on one participant at a time. When individual accomplishments are summed up, we find a favorable comparison to national statistics for the populations being served.
Several hundred drop-in persons from various city neighborhoods have become employed through job leads and access during extended hours to the internet for job search and the center’s job board. In addition, many employed participants return to the center for continuing assistance with community resource and referral information and new job leads for career path options.
In the 21st Century TANF program, 1086 persons have been enrolled since August of 1999 (437 of them since April of 2001). Enrollment is defined as reporting on the assigned day and completing basic intake documentation, unless referred back to the Board of Social Services. Of this number, 357 (33%) have become employed full time and 193 (18%) have been placed in CWEP assignments to develop their work skills. Thus employment and work experience assignments are achieved by 51% of enrollees. In addition, thirty-five percent of those employed have been retained in full-time employment for a minimum of three months.
*Respond, Inc. plans to play a continuing role in welfare to work activities and to maintain new worker supports as Work First New Jersey changes to meet the needs of those who remain on assistance and who are nearing the five-year limit of their benefits. The agency will continue to advocate, individually and through entities like The Employment Partnership, for positive change in program design and for further expansion of benefits to the working poor who need mentoring and continued training in order to reach self-sufficiency.
*A listing of current job openings from a variety of employers is maintained and updated weekly by the Job Developer at The New Worker Center. Employers come to the center twice a month to speak with participants who also attend local job fairs sponsored by the Camden County Improvement Authority. In addition, the CCIA provides transportation for some of our new workers. With employment and retention the focus of all of our work, each New Worker Center staff member is responsible for ensuring good employer relationships and the value of employers is encouraged in many ways. Employer Roundtables are held annually with information from participating employers shared with staff, participants and our peers. Employers participating in our job fairs are recognized with certificates and follow-up telephone calls. Service coordinators and case managers meet employers at their business to problem solve for specific employees, or to discuss possible hiring of participants.
*Meeting participants in the neighborhoods where they live is a regular program feature at The New Worker Center, and is done in special initiatives requested by the states as well. When names and address are available prior to participant reporting dates, home contact is made in advance. In programs where addresses are not part of the initial referral lists, home outreach is to persons who report for basic intake, but fail to report on the following assigned day. Outreach may be completed during regular business hours or in the evening or on weekends. All staff members are trained in outreach techniques and documentation.
During the past year, several special outreach efforts have been undertaken at the request of the Division of Family Development. In the most recent effort, teams worked with a list of more than 400 persons over a four-week period, assisted by our DFD representative who will generate a report based upon the documentation obtained. Special outreach initiatives assist the state in verifying customer status and also introduce The New Worker Center and its staff to potential customers.
*Recognition of participant accomplishments is a constant at The New Worker Center. Every Friday there is a special award ceremony. The Awards range from the #1 “Got A Job” to the Most Motivated, Perfect Attendance, Best Dressed, Most Persistent, the Participant of the Week, the Most Improved, the Most Cooperative, the Best Attitude, and even the Most Energetic. Bulletin boards at the Center feature photographs of class participants, center activities and one highlights photographs of children and family members, to remind participants and staff members that outcomes for family and the community are closely tied to results from New Worker Center programs.
| New Worker Center Contact: |
New Worker Center
527 Washington Street
Camden, NJ 08103
(856) 338-1589
Fax (856) 338-1384