Barriers To Employment Of Welfare To Work Participants

Welfare-to-Work is the employment and training part of California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids, CalWORKs (California version of TANF program). It helps participants receiving public assistance to leave welfare and to achieve self-sufficiency through gainful employment. The program attempts to make recipients more employable by offering them education, training, and work to help them transfer from temporary subsidized to permanent unsubsidized employment. However, the ability of TANF recipients to exit and to find a permanent job is often limited by the work barriers they face (Lee, J & Vinokur, A., 2007). There is a strong connection between the barriers and employment outcomes. The likelihood of sustaining a job declines as the number of barriers increases. Securing unsubsidized employment in a competitive labor market is challenging for Welfare-to-Work participants with work barriers such as limited education and work experience, language barriers, transportation, and others. Loprest and Zedlewski stated that welfare participants are not able to attain jobs with wages above the official U.S. poverty level (Loprest & Zedlewski, 2011). Moreover, participants with inadequate human capital, such as a low level of education and work experience, suffer from low self - esteem and self -efficacy (Kunz., J & Kalil., A., 1999). Welfare- to- Work participants suffering from low self-esteem may find it harder to be more optimistic about improving their education and employment, and overall, to believe that their efforts will have positive results. Insufficient and inadequate job readiness training does not prepare participants properly for future employment assignments. It hurts their self-esteem and self-efficacy at the workplace; therefore, it could be considered a barrier to employment (Kunz & Kalil., 1999). Employment for Welfare-to-Work participants is a stable income source that could support their families, improve their quality of life, and reduce poverty. Additionally, it will help them avoid long-term dependence on public assistance, reducing the government's burden by decreasing the number of caseloads. Unemployment, on the other side, can have negative health consequences on participants. "It could be a source of depression, low self-esteem, and other stress-related issues" (Kunz, J., & Kalil, A. 1999). According to Kunz, there is a direct link between unemployment and the participants' health condition. The longer they stay on welfare rolls, the higher the chances of having low self-esteem and self-efficacy, and depression, making it harder to focus on getting employed (Kunz, J., & Kalil, A. 1999). The research aims to identify the participant's employment barriers and their impact on their employment outcomes. The research results could help Welfare-to-Work program administrators to adjust some program parts with recipients' needs and employers' requirements. They should give welfare recipients facing employment barriers a real chance for success, instead of placing them in work assignments without assessing their skills and weaknesses, which will inevitably fail. Assessment of participants' weaknesses can identify potential barriers they face, so specialized supportive services can be implemented quickly (Loprest & Zedlewski, 2011).