WELFARE TO WORK

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WELFARE TO WORK STRATEGIES Critical Success
Factors Dr. Jane Higgins University of Canterbury
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Welfare to Work Strategies
OUTLINE
Introduction Case management Education Training J
ob search Wage subsidies/direct job
creation Assistance for sole parents Assistance
for indigenous and ethnic minority
groups Conclusions
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Welfare to Work Strategies
PROGRAMME LIMITS

• 1. Addressing disadvantage
• 2. The importance of context
• Labour market geography
• Local institutions

Results uneven across space Cloning
programmes problematic
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Welfare to Work Strategies
CASE MANAGEMENT

• Assessment of clients circumstances, needs
• Planning support
• Linking clients with external services
• Monitoring progress
• Closure

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Welfare to Work Strategies
CASE MANAGEMENT

• Assessment and profiling
• Individualised vs off-the-peg assistance?
• Knowledge of the local labour market
• Case manager as watchdog or friend?
• Compulsion?

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Welfare to Work Strategies
COMPULSION

• Possible mismatch between content and needs
• Demotivating effect on participants
• Stigmatising effect for both employers and
  participants
• May divert job seekers from effective job search
• Mandatory process rather than programmes?

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Welfare to Work Strategies
EDUCATION

• Follow-up services
• Flexible approaches to final years in school
• Co-ordination between key actors
• Some positive financial incentive to return to
  school

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Welfare to Work Strategies
TRAINING

• Intensive training content is important
• (implications for training duration and
  investment)
• Integration with formal pathways in education
• (ladders avoiding stigma taking training
  seriously)
• Pedagogy matters
• Support services
• Strong links with local labour markets

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Welfare to Work Strategies
TRAINING

• LINKS TO THE LOCAL LABOUR MARKET
• Training in specific skills needed locally - and
  case worker knowledge of these
• Support from local employer and worker
  organisations
• OConnell and McGinnity
• Training in specific skills to meet particular
  needs in local labour markets more successful
  than training in basic generic skills

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Welfare to Work Strategies
JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE

• WORK FIRST
• Intensive mandatory job search
• Strong message about importance of work
• Close tracking of search activities
• Performance based incentives for staff
• Importance of staff links to local labour market
• Potential problem of crowding low wage labour
  market with unskilled workers.

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Welfare to Work Strategies
JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE

• PHASED APPROACH (pursuit of formal avenues,
  personal contacts and speculative approaches)
• Initial advice and guidance
• Initial implementation - review each avenue
• Maintenance and fine tuning
• Formal review
• Possibility of an individualised, developmental
  approach

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Welfare to Work Strategies
DIRECT JOB CREATION

• SUBSIDIES WORK BEST WITH TRAINING
• Helps avoid lock-in
• Training/progress should be monitored
• Skills should be officially recognised
• Expectations of different parties should be
  understood
• OTHER ISSUES
• Creating additionality
• (tensions between make-work and productive
  work)
• In programme benefits not to be ignored

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Welfare to Work Strategies
PRIVATE SECTOR SUBSIDIES

• Subsidies work best with market relevant training
• (helps avoid lock-in, stigmatisation, creation of
  low wage, low skilled, insecure work)
• Reducing displacement
• (careful design monitoring placements)

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Welfare to Work Strategies
INDIGENOUS ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS

• Lack of post-programme success due to creaming
  by providers, self selection out of programmes
  and employer hiring behaviour.
• A WHOLE OF COMMUNITY APPROACH
• Community involvement in regional development
• Community control of programme direction
• Use of local support structures
• Support of advocates within and beyond community

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Welfare to Work Strategies
CONCLUSIONS
Consider limitations - and levels of
investment. Short term/long term goals quick
exit from welfare? developmental
approach? Programmes do not travel well.
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Welfare to Work Strategies
CONCLUSIONS
SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES
CASE MANAGEMENT LOCAL LABOUR MARKET LINKS
TRAINING OWNERSHIP OF PROGRAMMES QUALITY OF
INPUT