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Committee presses DHS on weak employment outcomes for TANF/TEP programs; agency pilots 'jump‑start' employer engagement
Summary
Council members and DHS officials discussed low TEP employment outcomes (single-digit placements historically), contract design, case manager ratios and a new JumpStart-to-Jobs pilot to build direct employer relationships and raise placements.
Multiple council members asked why TANF employment and training results remain low despite new contracts and incentives. DHS officials acknowledged disappointing employment outcomes (single-digit placement rates relative to client population) and pointed to contractor capacity, skills mismatches and the labor-market fit as contributors.
DHS described contractual design changes — merging education and job-placement services and adding two‑gen incentive payments — and announced a rapid pilot, "JumpStart to Jobs," to build direct employer relationships and shorten the pathway from assessment to placement. "We are looking at... what interventions can we do which is going to have a more direct impact on placement of jobs," ESA leadership said. The committee asked DHS for provider performance metrics and program monitoring manuals, which DHS agreed to deliver.
