This week, the District Dime is focusing on DCFPI’s new “resource map“ of services and funding for workforce development in the District of Columbia. On Tuesday we went over some basics of the map and how it was put together. Yesterday we reviewed some of the main sources of federal funding that help DC residents enter and re-enter the workforce. Today we’ll examine sources of local funding.
As the resource map shows, the District makes both large and small investments in workforce development through local dollars. By local dollars, we are referring to monies allocated from the General Fund, which come from sales, income, and property taxes and fees, among other sources.
What is the largest single allocation of local tax dollars in workforce development? The District’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which is run by the Department of Employment Services (DOES). Though the program has been significantly downsized over the last few years, it still receives the largest appropriation of local dollars for workforce development. The program provides a six-week subsidized job for District youth ages 14 to 21.
Another DOES program that receives a large investment is the Transitional Employment Program. It is designed to help some of the hardest-to-employ District residents such as ex-offenders successfully enter or re-enter the workforce through job readiness, training and subsidized employment.
As we mentioned in previous blogs, DOES isn’t the only game in town. The District also deploys significant dollars through the employment training program in TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The Department of Disability Services also has a substantial employment readiness and placement program to help residents with disabilities.
How successful are these programs in helping residents get and retain jobs? Unfortunately we don’t know as much about that as we should. We hope the collection of this kind of data and a focus on outcomes in determining how to use our precious local dollars will be a focus of our elected and appointed leaders.
Want paper copies of the resource map? Contact Elissa Silverman at silverman@dcfpi.org or 202.325.8816.
