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:
This plan presents Louisiana's proposal to use grant funding to meet the SNAP E&T requirements of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and utilize 50/50 federal matching funds to serve participants in defined areas of the state as outlined in this plan hereinafter referred to as Expanded E&T. Policies are defined in Chapter 4 of the DCFS Policy Management System, the Louisiana Job Employment Training (LaJET) Handbook, Expanded E&T Handbook, and the Louisiana Administrative Code-Title 67, Social Services.
Louisiana intends to meet the SNAP E&T requirements through contractual agreements with the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) to operate the Louisiana Job Employment Training (LaJET) Program and Expanded SNAP E&T through contracted partners.
LaJET is a mandatory participant-centered and service-oriented initiative to provide employment-focused services to targeted Mandatory Work Registrants (MWRs) who are recipients of SNAP benefits. ABAWDs who reside in a LaJET parish are exempt from mandatory participation in LaJET. ABAWDs who would be subject to the SNAP time limit if there were not a statewide ABAWD waiver are mandatory SNAP E&T participants and will be referred to LWC and will be required to participate in LWC’s various programs offered through LWC’s Business and Career Solutions Centers statewide. Louisiana currently has a statewide ABAWD waiver approved through March 31, 2020. A MWR is an individual who does not meet a federal exemption to SNAP work requirements as outlined in 7 CFR 273.7. SNAP recipients who are MWRs and reside in a LaJET parish are referred to LaJET; therefore, are mandatory E&T participants. Non-ABAWDs who are MWRs and do not reside in a LaJET parish are not offered LaJET services nor are considered mandatory E&T Participants. The State contracts the administration of the LaJET Program with the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC). The LaJET Parishes are Caddo, Orleans, Ouachita, and Rapides. Although this is a mandatory program, volunteers are also accepted.
Louisiana has fourteen contracted partners which provide Expanded E&T services to SNAP recipients. • Liberty's Kitchen serves youth in the Greater New Orleans area. • The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury (CPPJ) Human Services Department offer services for residents of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis parishes. • Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana (GWSELA) offer services to individuals in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. • Covenant House serves youth in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. • Reconcile New Orleans (Café Reconcile) serves youth in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. • HOPE Ministries offer services in East Baton Rouge Parish. • Louisiana Green Corps offer services in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. • Youth Empowerment Project serve youth in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. • New Opportunities Vision Achievement offer services for residents in Ouachita, Richland, Morehouse, Madison, East Carroll, and West Carroll parishes. • Louisiana Delta Community College offer services for residents in Union, Lincoln, Jackson, Caldwell, Ouachita, Morehouse, West Carroll, Richland, Franklin, Tensas, Madison, and East Carroll parishes. • United Way of Southeast Louisiana offer services to residents in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, and Washington parishes. • Cowen Institute serve youth in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. • Center for Employment Opportunities offer services to residents in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany parishes. • New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter offer services to residents in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area.
Recipients who choose to volunteer may take advantage of opportunities offered through the LaJET Program, LWC’s Business and Career Solutions Centers, or opportunities offered via contracts with Expanded E&T partners, where available. This includes ABAWDs and non-ABAWDs. Volunteers who do not participate will not be sanctioned for failure to cooperate with the volunteer program.
Louisiana Workforce Commission Business Career Solutions Center focuses on providing a variety of employment related labor exchange services including job search assistance, job referral and placement assistance for job seekers. Services are accessed in one of three ways including self-service, facilitated self-help services, and staff assisted service.
Services are provided to ABAWDs statewide through LWC’s Business and Career Solutions Centers by providing workforce preparation skills, labor exchange information, and referrals. LWC's Business and Career Solutions Center provides services through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) participation. Volunteers and mandatory work registrants will be served by Expanded SNAP E&T Providers in designated areas of the state.
The following components will be offered through the E&T Program: Job Search Training, Supervised Job Search, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Participation, Work Experience, Job Retention, and Education - Vocational Training.
Job Search Training is designed to teach skills leading to behavior modification and foster a positive job search attitude. Participants have an opportunity to set goals, acknowledge barriers to employment, gain skills, training and experience leading to employment. The estimated monthly cost is $330,106.00.
Supervised Job Search is designed to assess participants who are required to complete minimum of 24 job contacts over a 30-day period and document on the LaJET Employer Contact Record. The LaJET participant must apply for a minimum of three jobs each day of supervised job search. The estimated monthly cost is $33,139.00.
WIOA is a work experience and training component offered by LWC. By federal law, all SNAP recipients are eligible to participate in WIOA activities. Participants expressing an interest in WIOA will evaluated and referred. If referred, the participants must report to the local WIOA administrative entity or to the designated Louisiana Workforce Investment Act (LWIA) contractor or partner in order to meet compliance. Activities may include On-the-Job Training, Institution Training (class-size or individual referral), Work Experience, Educational/Motivational Training and Special Industry-specific Training Programs. Zero funding is used for administrative costs for ABAWDs at LWC.
Work Experience is designed to improve the employability of participants through work experience and training that will move the participant into employment. The estimated monthly cost is $266,691.00.
Job Retention is designed to assist participants in maintaining employment by assessing participant's performance, assisting the participant to resolve issues that arise and may affect their ability to maintain employment, reinforcing positive behaviors and teaching additional job retention skills. The estimated monthly cost is $217,807.00.
Education - Vocational Training is designed to provide educational programs with a direct link to job-readiness to improve basic skills and employability. The estimate monthly cost is $230,266.00.
The agency’s goal is to serve as many mandatory work registrants as possible. After careful analysis of available 100% Employment & Training Funds and consideration of the prevailing environment, it has been determined that the program will best serve our clients if services are provided in a limited geographic area to non-Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (non-ABAWDs). The geographic limitation is expected to provide optimum opportunity to utilize available federal and state funds in a responsible, practical and productive manner.
Geographic Areas Covered and Local Variations
LWC will provide LaJET services in 4 parishes and will serve ABAWDs statewide.
Liberty’s Kitchen, Covenant House, Louisiana Green Corps, Cowen Institute, YEP, NOWCS, GWSELA – Goodwill Technical College, and Reconcile New Orleans (Café Reconcile) offer services for participants who reside in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area.
CPPJ offer services for participants who reside in Allen, Beauregard, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, or Calcasieu Parish.
HOPE Ministries offer services in East Baton Rouge Parish.
NOVA offer services in Ouachita, Richland, Morehouse, Madison, East Carroll, and West Carroll.
LDCC offer services in Union, Lincoln, Jackson, Caldwell, Ouachita, Morehouse, East Carroll, West Carroll, Richland, Franklin, Tensas, and Madison.
UWSELA offer services in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, and Washington.
CEO offer services in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany.