Located in:
- Employment and Training Programs Under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Programs Authorized Under Section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)(4)))
- a. General Requirements [27]
The State agency must prepare and submit an Employment and Training (E&T) Plan to its appropriate Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional Office. The E&T Plan must be available for public inspection at the State agency headquarters. A State agency may include its plan for the SNAP E&T program in a Combined Plan under WIOA but will require FNS approval prior to implementation and must continue to make a copy of the plan available for public inspection. If a State includes SNAP E&T in a Combined Plan under WIOA, the State agency will detail the following for each year covered by the Combined Plan:
[27] 7 CFR § 273.7(c)(6)
- a. General Requirements [27]
a. 1. The nature of the E&T components the State agency plans to offer and the reasons for such components, including cost information. The methodology for State agency reimbursement for education components must be specifically addressed;
Current Narrative:
| Mission: The SNAP Act of 1977, as amended by the Food Security Act of1985, the Hunger Act of1988, the Mickey Leland Domestic Hunger Relief Act of 1990, the Personal Responsibility and Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the Farm and Rural Investment Act of2002 and the code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 7 Part 273 requires States to operate a SNAP E&T Program. The Arkansas Department of Human Services is the agency responsible for the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Scope of Services: The purpose of the SNAP E&T Program is to assist any eligible SNAP recipient who wishes to volunteer in the program the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment through voluntary participation in work programs and education/training activities. The program is administered through contracts and a Third Party FNS match program, with adult education centers, public schools, vocational schools, community colleges, community-based organizations, and work force service agencies to operate a volunteer E&T program. Participation in E&T is designed to promote self-sufficiency through employment for any eligible SNAP recipient referred to the program. The E&T components include: (Supervised Job Search, Job Search Training), Occupational Skills, English As a Second Language, Work Experience, On the Job Training, Job Retention, GED & Basic Skills Education, Vocational, Self- Employment, Apprenticeship, and Internship Training/Programs. Arkansas’ initial vision of “building on our history as an innovator in the delivery of human services, to develop a robust, statewide, job-driven, employment and training program that will produce a job-ready workforce able to meet the needs of Arkansas’ current employers, attract new industry, and build Arkansas’ economy” is more clear because the FY 20 AR E&T program will serve 75 of our 75 counties, and 100% of all the State’s work registrants including ABAWDs. In previous years Arkansas had a USDA approved waiver from the SNAP Requirement to Work (RTW) provisions. The waiver was based on labor surplus estimates from the Department of Labor, however like many other States, the economy improved and unemployment rates decreased, and the areas available to be covered by the waiver have decreased or disappeared, and this was the case for Arkansas beginning January I, 2016. This group is subject to the PRWORA sponsored participation limits of 3 full months of SNAP benefits in a fixed 36-month period unless they are exempt or complying with the requirements associated with the RTW. This 3-year period reset on January I, 2019. Arkansas’ March 2019 unemployment rate was 3.8% The purpose of the SNAP E&T Program is to assist any eligible SNAP recipient who wishes to volunteer in the program the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment through voluntary participation in work programs and education/training activities. The program is administered through contracts and a Third Party FNS match program, with adult education centers, public schools, vocational schools, community colleges, community-based organizations, and work force service agencies to operate a volunteer E&T program. Participation in E&T is designed to promote self-sufficiency through employment for any eligible SNAP recipient referred to the program. The E&T components include: Supervised Job Search, Job Search Training, Occupational Skills, English As a Second Language, Work Experience, On the Job Training, Job Retention, GED & Basic Skills Education, Vocational, Self- Employment, Apprenticeship, and Internship Training/Programs. Arkansas’ March 2019 unemployment rate was 3.8%. Administrative structure of program: The SNAP E&T target population is designed to assist at risk, childless, able bodied adults between the ages of 18 &50 to achieve sustainable wages. AR also accepts volunteers who are not receiving TEA or UIB in SNAP E&T. In January 2015 E&T was offered in 13 counties. As of October, I, 2018 Arkansas began offering all eligible SNAP recipients in all counties an opportunity to participate in Employment and Training if they qualify. The FY 18 E&T counties reported 4737 assessments, 436 were placed in jobs at an average hourly wage of $8.89. |