What's happening
This bill requires public assistance employment programs to prioritize training for sustainable wage jobs and promote nontraditional employment opportunities.
Why it matters
Defines “sustainable wage”. as at least 185% of the poverty line, regionally adjusted—raising the standard for what counts as a “good job” in public assistance employment programs.
Expands focus to “nontraditional employment”. (fields where one gender is under 25% of workers, such as skilled trades and emerging tech), aiming to diversify job placements and open higher-paying roles to more participants.
Requires job training and employment plans for public assistance recipients with a high school diploma or GED to strongly consider pathways into sustainable wage jobs and nontraditional fields,. instead of defaulting to low-wage or traditional roles.
Could improve long-term financial self-sufficiency for recipients. by pushing local social service agencies to coordinate with employers, education providers, and others to create more robust, future-oriented employment plans—potentially reducing reliance on public benefits over time.
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Who cares
Public assistance participants with a high school diploma or GED
Their employability plans would have to strongly consider available jobs paying at least 185 percent of the poverty line, adjusted for regional factors.
Local social services districts
They would have to emphasize sustainable-wage training and nontraditional employment in local planning while maintaining federal and state work participation requirements.
Education and job-training providers
The local plans they help develop would have to strongly consider sustainable-wage training for participants with a diploma or GED and promote nontraditional employment opportunities.
Participants pursuing fields where their gender is underrepresented
Required information about local education and training opportunities would include occupations where one gender makes up less than 25 percent of workers.
Headline styles
Train For Better-Paying Jobs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Train for Better-Paying Jobs
In Assembly Committee · Social Services · Sponsor Jo Anne Simon
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4259
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 7, 2017
Introduced by Sen. MONTGOMERY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to training and education for sustainable wage jobs and traditional and nontraditional employment in public assistance employment programs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 330 of the social services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, paragraphs a and b as amended by section 2 of part C of chapter 57 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
1. Whenever used in this title:
a. the term "commissioner" means the commissioner of the state office of temporary and disability assistance; [and]
b. the term "department" means the state office of temporary and disability assistance;
c. the term "nontraditional employment" means occupations or fields of work, including careers in the skilled trades, or computer science, technology and other emerging high skill occupations, for which any one gender comprises less than twenty-five percent of the individuals employed in each such occupation or field of work according to federal department of labor statistics; and
d. the term "sustainable wage" means a wage that is at least one hundred eighty-five percent of the poverty line and that is adjusted for regional factors.
§ 2. The second undesignated paragraph of section 333 of the social services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
Such plan shall be developed in cooperation and coordination with public and private education institutions, child care providers, child care resource and referral agencies if available in the district, labor
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00793-01-7
S. 4259 2
unions, libraries, public and private employers, employment and training agencies and organizations, and private industry councils established in service delivery areas defined in subdivision five of section nine hundred seventy-one of the executive law. Such plan shall strongly consider, for individuals who have obtained a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED), training for sustainable wage jobs and promote nontraditional employment opportunities for such participants; provided that any individual's preparation for employment shall be consistent with federal and state work participation requirements.
§ 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 334 of the social services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
(a) education, employment and training opportunities available under the local plan, including: (i) education and training for sustainable wage jobs and nontraditional employment opportunities; and (ii) educational and training opportunities available at no cost to the participant as well as the responsibilities associated with the repayment of student financial aid;
§ 4. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 335 of the social services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Based on the assessment required by subdivision one of this section, the social services official, in consultation with the participant, shall develop an employability plan in writing which shall set forth the services that will be provided by the social services official, including but not limited to child care and other services and the activities in which the participant will take part, including child care and other services and shall set forth an employment goal for the participant. To the extent possible, the employability plan shall reflect the preferences of the participant in a manner that is consistent with the results of the participant's assessment and the need of the social services district to meet federal and state work activity participation requirements, and, if such preferences cannot be accommodated, the reasons shall be specified in the employability plan. The employability plan shall also take into account the participant's supportive services needs, available program resources, local employment opportunities, and shall strongly consider, for individuals who have obtained a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED), the potential for available employment that pays a sustainable wage; provided that any individual's preparation for employment shall be consistent with federal and state work participation requirements; and where the social services official is considering an educational activity assignment for such participant, the participant's liability for student loans, grants and scholarship awards. The employability plan shall be explained to the participant. Any change to the participant's employability plan required by the social services official shall be discussed with the participant and shall be documented in writing.
§ 5. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 335-a of the social services law, as amended by section 1 of part J of chapter 58 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Based on the assessment required by subdivision one of this section, the social services official, in consultation with the participant, shall develop an employability plan in writing which shall set forth the services that will be provided by the social services official and the activities in which the participant will take part, including supportive services and shall set forth an employment goal for the
S. 4259 3
participant. To the extent possible, the employability plan shall reflect the preferences of the participant in a manner that is consistent with the results of the participant's assessment and the need of the social services district to meet federal and state work activity participation requirements, and, if such preferences cannot be accommodated, the reasons shall be specified in the employability plan. The employability plan also shall take into account the participant's supportive services needs, available program resources, local employment opportunities, and shall strongly consider, for individuals who have obtained a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED), the potential for available employment that pays a sustainable wage; provided that any individual's preparation for employment shall be consistent with federal and state work participation requirements; and where the social services official is considering an educational activity assignment for such participant, the participant's liability for student loans, grants and scholarship awards. The employability plan shall be explained to the participant. Any change to the participant's employability plan required by the social services official shall be discussed with the participant and shall be documented in writing.
§ 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law, and shall apply to employability plans made or updated on and after such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to training and education for sustainable wage jobs and traditional and nontraditional employment in public assistance employment programs
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 defines "nontraditional employment" and "sustainable wage."
Section 2 requires that local social services district plans-for public assistance employment programs emphasize training for sustainable wage jobs and promote understanding of nontraditional employment opportunities for participants.
Section 3 requires that participant orientations include information on education and training for sustainable wage jobs and non-traditional employment opportunities available under the local plan.
Sections 4 and 5 require participant employability plans to take into account the potential for available employment that pays a sustainable wage such as apprentice-able, technical and professional occupations and nontraditional employment.
Justification
In the rush to reduce welfare rolls under federal welfare reform, many welfare recipients have been placed in low-paying jobs. In particular, initial studies of women moving from welfare to work indicate that the vast majority of women move into jobs that do not lift them and their children out of poverty. These jobs are typically in industries, such as food service and home health care, which are traditionally populated by women workers.
A 2001 study of job training for low-income people, particularly women leaving welfare, found a clear pattern of gender segregation in job training referral and placements. Programs training for jobs as bank teller and nail technician had 100% female enrollment, while programs training for higher paying jobs such as appliance technician and automotive technician had overwhelming male enrollments.
Overall, women comprise 25% or less of total workers in many fields, such as skilled trade occupations carpenter, electrician, millwright, plumber, sheet metal worker; technical jobs drafter, rigger, computer technician; service jobs - taxi driver, furniture mover and truck driver; public service jobs, such as firefighter, police officer and ambulance driver, and professions chemist, aerospace engineer, and city manager.
Nontraditional employment can help women achieve economic independence: nontraditional jobs offer women wages paying 20% to 30% more on average than traditionally female occupations, as well as good benefits and opportunities for advancement.
As welfare reform continues, increased emphasis needs to be placed on services that will move participants into sustainable wage jobs to permanently lift families out of poverty, and prevent them from cycling in and out of dependence on public assistance. This becomes especially critical as the 60 month lifetime limit for federally-funded public assistance is reached. For women in particular, a crucial but underutilized route to a sustainable wage job is through nontraditional employment. The provisions of this bill will ensure that local social services districts increase their emphasis on counseling, education and training for nontraditional employment and sustainable wage jobs. PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2007: A.3366/S.3281 Veto 94; 2008: A.9197-A/5.6256-A; 2009/2010: S.2098-A, Died in Committee; 2011-2012: S.72 Referred to and died in Social Services in Committee; 2013-2014: S.1290 Referred to and died in Social Services Committee
Effective date
The one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become law and shall apply to employability plans made or updated on and after such effective date.
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