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With Congress expected to begin consideration of a new Farm Bill early next year, National Skills Coalition today released recommendations for strengthening the SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program as part of the reauthorization process. The recommendations – which were developed in consultation with a range of national and local partners – would build on key policy improvements made in the 2014 Farm bill and expand access to high-quality, skills-based training models for SNAP recipients seeking to get and keep well-paying jobs.
The 2014 Farm Bill made several important changes to support SNAP E&T, including implementing new pilot projects to test innovative strategies; enhancing E&T reporting and monitoring requirements; and, providing additional funding for E&T. Following the 2014 Farm Bill, NSC has worked to help states utilize their SNAP E&T programs to provide job training and support services to those who want to build their skills and find good jobs. We partnered with Seattle Jobs Initiative to provide intensive technical assistance to four states and produced a number of resources to help state partners advocated for skills-based SNAP E&T.
With reauthorization of the Farm Bill, we have an opportunity to expand on the work that’s occurred over the past four years. The SNAP E&T recommendations we released today would build on these important efforts by:
Strengthen connections with employers through work-based learning. While participation in apprenticeship and similar work-based learning models are allowable activities under SNAP E&T, there are relatively few incentives for states or their employer partners to invest the time and resources necessary to take these strategies to scale. Congress could encourage greater use of these effective approaches by specifically identifying apprenticeship and work-based learning as eligible activities under SNAP E&T; providing increased reimbursements for employer contributions under the 50-50 program; providing tax incentives to employers to hire and train SNAP recipients; authorizing SNAP E&T funds to be used to support a percentage of wages paid during participation in a work-based learning program; and establishing a Work-Based Learning Support Fund that would provide funding for wraparound services for SNAP recipients participating in these programs.
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