· Current Status of Family Independence:

1995 - 35,000 Employable Families
January 2000 - 6,000 Employable Families

· Employment Retention & Advancement (ERA):

Employment Retention & Advancement of current and former clients is critical to the success of welfare reform and the well being of the children and families involved. DSS has been addressing ERA over the last 2 years with the help of grant monies from the Administration of Children and Families. Best practices and strategies regarding this issue have been gathered from across our state. Also, a wide array of factors influencing ERA has been examined. They include:

· Family
· Community Organizations
· DSS & Other Agencies
· Education / Training Organizations
· Employers

The strategy has been developed to focus on the following areas:

· Attitude, Motivation, & Work Ethic
· Barrier Removal
· Basic Education
· Skill Training
· Employment Brokering
· Assessment / Case Management
· General ERA Services / Resources

In Spring 2000, DSS hopes to implement an ERA pilot project to evaluate the impact of the above intervention strategies.

· Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and One Stop Centers:

The Business & Industry Relations Department and other Family Independence staff are currently working with the S.C. Employment Security Commission (SCESC) and other WIA partners to develop the SC State Level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SCESC and WIA partners to be involved at the local One Stop Centers. DSS is a non-mandatory partner but we are participating as a full partner. Our portion of the MOU will reference services that may be offered. Counties will negotiate what role they will play at the One Stops.

· DSS On-The-Job Training (OJT) Program:

Work is underway to develop a DSS OJT component to assist in the employment placement, job retention, and employment advancement of Family Independence clients. This component proposes to reimburse employers 50% of a new hire's gross wages for a limited period of time.