Work Experience Program

What is W.E.P?

In October of 1997 the State of Ohio adopted the Welfare Reform Act. This act requires that all persons that receive benefits (cash, food stamps, medical) will work in exchange for these benefits at job sites. These job sites will receive volunteer hours in return for training participants a skill and evaluating their performance in order to move them from welfare roles to paid employment. In November of 1998 Catholic Social Services contracted with the Clark County Department of Jobs and Family Services to administer and monitor the Work Experience Program (W.E.P.).

W.E.P. is designed to provide work experience to adult Ohio Works First recipients by placing them on one of 47 non-profit work sites. W.E.P. not only links participants to a work environment, but allows partnering between the participant, the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services to administer and monitor W.E.P.

W.E.P. is a “mentoring partnership” designed to help participants learn more about what employers expect from employees in an actual work setting, obtain job skills for future job placement, and assist participants in receiving supervisor recommendations.

How Does W.E.P Work?

Participants entering a W.E.P. site have gone through an initial assessment designed specifically to learn what job skills a participant has and any barriers that must be overcome. A W.E.P. Case Manager will assign the participant to a W.E.P. site based on feedback from their evaluation from the Clark County Department of Job & Family Services and their initial assessment at Catholic Social Services. These sites will be monitored by the W.E.P. Case Managers with evaluations and progression reports given at 3-month, 6-month and 12-month intervals.

Evaluations will assess the participants attendance, attitude, skill base productivity, quality, ability to get along with others, grooming and hygiene, safety, initiative, emotional stability, problem solving, communication, cooperation and motivation, and the ability to change and make decisions independently. Each W.E.P. participant will have a detailed job description. Participant hours will depend on hours required by the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services. As skills are acquired, participants will be encouraged to enter OIC's TEAM program or enter employment.

Advantages of Using W.E.P.

• On-the-job training
• Work ethics Employer expectations
• Communication Team building
• Conflict resolution
• Safety Time management
• On-the-job policies and procedures
• Tips to succeed on the job

Make W.E.P. Work !

To make W.E.P. work, not-for-profit agencies need to make a commitment to become involved and support the W.E.P. participant.

W.E.P. will create a sense of community throughout your agency. Your employees will see and experience your agency's willingness to become involved in changing people's lives.

Comments from site supervisors include:

“ A program that allows individuals to gain work experience and ethics while assisting employers in areas of need. An excellent way to train people to become self-supporting.”

Audrey Rigsby

Administrative Secretary
W.E.P Supervisor
Dept. of Job & Family Services

“ The Work Experience Program enhances social skills, raises self-esteem and promotes hands-on training. This further helps participants to become self-sufficient.”

Joyce Bush, Office Manager