Transcript Wages Work! An Examination of NYC’s Parks Opportunity

Wages Work!
An Examination of NYC’s
Parks Opportunity Program and Its Participants
A Research Project by
Community Voices Heard
March 2004
Workfare vs. Transitional Job

Workfare – a welfare recipient “works off” benefits
in a job in the public or private sector. Education,
training and support services may be available.
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Transitional Job – a welfare recipient works in a
time-limited job with pay. Education, training and
support services are a key part of the program.
What is a Transitional Job?
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Provides work experience:
time-limited, publicly subsidized job with wages
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Provides case management:
address barriers, assist in accessing work supports
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Provides skill development:
on the job and through education and training
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Provides job placement support:
job search assistance & job retention services
Transitional Jobs: National Scope
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40 programs nationwide
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3,500 individuals at any given time
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81-94% of individuals completing
programs found employment
Parks Opportunity Program (POP)
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Largest paid transitional jobs program
Run by NYC Dept. Parks & Recreation
Started Spring 2001
Initial phase of program had:
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3,500 Participants
Paid $9.38 an hour
11 ½ month positions
Workers were District Council 37 members
Distinctions Between POP & WEP
Parks Opportunity Program
Hourly Wage
Work Experience Program
$9.38 - $12.50
$0.00
$19,510 - $26,000
$0.00
Yes
No
CSA / CPW / PEP / PA
None
District Council 37 Member
None
Accrued
None
Received On-the-Job Training
76.9%
19.9%
Learned New Skills
70.7%
39.2%
Felt Good About Self
87.9%
22.4%
Salary
EITC Eligibility
Job Title
Union Status
Sick Leave & Vacation Time
POP Testimony #1
Euline Williams
Research Design
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Multiple contact with 1000+ POP participants
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Development of 10-page survey instrument
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Personal background, history prior to POP, placement process
Experience during POP: at job site, at job services site, in
relation to salary & work supports, quality of life
Experience post-POP, current situation, general feedback
Random sample of 200 former workers
from 3,403 list of participants
Research Sample
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Response Rate: 50%
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101 surveyed
36 had moved
13 unknown at address
- 35 not found at home
- 12 refused
- 2 unable to complete
Demographics
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Gender:
Age Range:
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Race/Ethnicity:
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Education:
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100 women & 1 man
79% 25 – 44 years old
22% 45 – 64 years old
54% African-Americans/Blacks
42% Latinas/Hispanics
57% less than High School
42% High School / GED / Beyond
Major Research Findings
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Finding 1: Wages are Important
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Finding 2: POP Workers Did Real Work
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Finding 3: POP Improved Lives of Participants
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Finding 4: POP Prepared People Better than WEP
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Finding 5: POP Lacked Critical Elements of TJPs
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Finding 6: POP Failed to Connect Many to Jobs
Finding 1
Wages are an Important
Component in Motivating Welfare
Recipients to Move Off Welfare
A.
B.
Wages Matter
POP Motivated Participants to Leave Welfare
Finding 1: Wages Important
Wages Matter
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Best things about POP:
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being off of public assistance (90.9%)
getting a paycheck (77.4%)
Program aspects that changed the way
participants felt about work:
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earning a paycheck (97.6%)
having a job title (96.2%)
having a supervisor (83.8%)
having a clear work plan (87.5%)
POP
Finding 1: Wages Important
POP Motivated Participants
to Want to Leave Welfare
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98% would have liked to keep working in
a full-time job
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93% would have liked to keep working
in a full-time permanent Parks job
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79% were actively looking for work and
had applied to an average of 10 jobs each
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78% felt confident that they could get a job
post-POP, while only 60% did post-WEP
Finding 2
POP Workers
Did Real Work Needed for the City
A. POP Workers Did Critical Work for the City
B. POP Workers Were Often Asked to Work Overtime
Finding 2: Real Work
POP Workers
Did Critical Work for the City
WORK DONE BY POPs AT 1,700 CITY PARKS
Maintenance/Cleaning
89.9%
Painting
77.8%
Landscaping/Horticulture
51.5%
Recreational Coordination/Planning
23.2%
Clerical/Administration
19.2%
Security
14.1%
Customer Service
13.1%
Driving
8.1%
Other
6.9%
Finding 2: Real Work
POP Workers
Were Often Asked to Work Overtime
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The importance of the work is also reflected
in the fact that…
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61% were asked to work overtime
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Of those asked to work overtime,
70% asked to work overtime between 3 & 10 times
Finding 3
The Parks Opportunity Program
Improved the Lives of Most Welfare
Recipients Participating in the
Program
A. POP Workers Had More Monthly Income
B. POP Workers Saw their Quality of Life Improve
C. POP Workers Gained Greater Self-Esteem
Finding 3: Improved Lives
POP Workers Had More Monthly
Income than Welfare Recipients
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90% had more monthly income during POP
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Eligible for up to $3,888 in EITC
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36.4% were even able to save money
Finding 3: Improved Lives
POP Worker Income
Compared to Other Benchmarks
$48,936
$50,000
$40,000
$22,584
$30,000
$15,394
$20,000
$17,650
$8,244
$10,000
$0
Welfare
Full-Time
Federal
Minimum Wage Poverty Line
POP Worker Self-Sufficiency
Standard
Finding 3: Improved Lives
POP Workers
Saw Their Quality of Life Improve
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93% felt their quality of life had improved
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Responses pointed to:
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increased economic security,
rising self-esteem, and
positive family spillover effects
Finding 3: Improved Lives
POP Workers
Gained Greater Self-Esteem
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87.9% of POP respondents felt above average
(good or terrific) while in POP
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Only 22.4% felt this positive while receiving
public assistance
Finding 4
The Parks Opportunity Program
Prepared People for Work
Better than Unpaid Workfare/WEP
A. POP Workers Gained Skills On the Job
B. A Variety of New Skills Were Learned
Finding 4: Prepared People>WEP
POP Workers
Gained Skills On the Job
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72% considered POP a useful program
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71% said they learned new skills on the job
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39% felt they had learned new skills in WEP
Finding 4: Prepared People>WEP
A Variety of New Skills Were Learned
New Parks-Focused Skills Learned by
POP Workers On the Job
80%
71%
49%
60%
44%
31%
40%
20%
0%
Equipment Usage
Maintenance
Cleaning
Painting
Landscaping
Horticulture
Finding 4: Prepared People>WEP
A Variety of New Skills Were Learned
New Transferable Skills Learned by POP
Workers On the Job
11%
Security
7%
Clerical/Administration
6%
Customer Service
Recreational
Coordination/Planning
6%
3%
Driving
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
Positive Elements of POP
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Wages are an Important Component
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POP Workers Did Real Work for City
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POP Improved Lives of Participants
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POP Prepared People for Work
Still, some elements need improving…
Finding 5
POP Program Model Fails to Incorporate
Critical Elements Typical of Most
Effective Transitional Jobs Programs
A. Work Supports Were Not Sufficient or Accessible
B. Job Search & Employment Services Were Poor,
Education & Training Was Limited
C. POP Failed to Address Individual Barriers to Employment
D. Program Length is Insufficient to Achieve Stated Goals
Finding 5: Missing Elements
Work Supports Were Neither Fully
Accessible Nor Sufficient
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93% had their cash assistance cases closed
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69% drew on additional benefits to help make
ends meet
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Even with a wage of $9.38 an hour and up,
additional supports were necessary
POP Worker Testimony #2
Zoila Almonte
Finding 5: Missing Elements
Work Supports Were Neither Fully
Accessible Nor Sufficient

Without supports, an average family would fall
short almost $2,000 each month in paying their
expenses
[Self-Sufficiency Standard & Calculator, P.26]
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Yet, despite clear need for additional supports,
not everyone received additional benefits…
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Earned Income Tax Credit
Medicaid
Food Stamps
Childcare
Rental Assistance
88.3% received
81.9% received
64.7% received
45.6% received
27.9% received
Finding 5: Missing Elements
Job Services Were of Poor Quality &
Education and Training was Limited
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92% attended JAC & PACT 2-8 times per month
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Bulk of services received focused on:
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job readiness (time, behavior, hygiene, dress, etc.)
job search (resumes, interviewing, etc.)
Only 50% felt they were better equipped or
skilled to get a job at the end of receiving the
job services
Finding 5: Missing Elements
Job Services Were of Poor Quality &
Education and Training was Limited
SERVICE/TRAINING TYPE
PERCENT RECEIVED
Job Readiness
87.5%
Job Search Workshops
88.6%
Job Search Activities
61.4%
Job Retention Services
11.4%
English as Second Language
50.0%
Adult Basic Education
11.0%
GED Preparation
10.9%
Drivers License Preparation
12.3%
Commercial Drivers’ License
3.5%
Civil Service Exam Preparation
2.3%
Finding 5: Missing Elements
POP Program Failed to Address
Individual Barriers to Employment
INDIVIDUAL BARRIERS TO
EMPLOYMENT CITED
Lack of GED
45.8%
Lack of Education/Certification
34.9%
Lack of Job Experience
31.3%
Lack of Childcare
30.1%
Lack of English Proficiency
20.5%
Lack of Transportation Money
16.9%
Poor Health Condition
9.6%
Finding 5: Missing Elements
POP Program Failed to Address
Individual Barriers to Employment
Differentials in Disadvantages Mentioned
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Based on Education Level
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A high percent of non-graduates mentioned their lack of education as
a major barrier to employment (80%)
Non-graduates mentioned certain barriers (lack of job experience and
pay not being enough to support a family) more often than graduates
Based on Race/Ethnicity
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Consistently across categories, Latinas cited each barrier at a higher
level than African-Americans
More focused education/training options were not offered as
frequently to Latinas as African-Americans
Finding 5: Missing Elements
POP Program Failed to Address
Individual Barriers to Employment
ADDITIONAL TRAINING THAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN HELPFUL
Computer Training
73.2%
Driver’s License Training
52.4%
GED Preparation
37.8%
Civil Service Exam Training
36.6%
Vocational Education
30.5%
English as Second Language
13.4%
Professional Training
11.0%
Landscape/Horticulture Training
7.3%
Basic Education
4.9%
Finding 5: Missing Elements
Program Length is Insufficient to
Achieve All Stated Goals
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Participants felt that a year or more was necessary
in a transitional job
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49%
30%
21%
2 years
1 ½ years
1 year
Extra time can help participants…
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Stabilize their finances
Learn to juggle work & family
Complete both basic education and job training
Demonstrate ability to maintain long-term job to prospective employers
Provide increased value job placement sites
Finding 6
POP Failed to Connect Most
Participants to Paying Jobs Thereby
Forcing Many to Return to Welfare
A. Design May Have Resulted in Limited Post-Program Placement
B. High Unemployment Put Hard-to-Employ at Disadvantage
C. When in Need, Program Leavers Return to Public Support
Finding 6: Failed Connection
Program Design May Have Resulted
in Limited Post-Program Placement
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Only 15.5% of those surveyed were employed
when the surveys were taken
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A slightly higher percentage (22%) had held at
least one job since POP
Finding 6: Failed Connection
Program Design May Have Resulted
in Limited Post-Program Placement
JAC & PACT PLACEMENT NUMBERS & AVERAGE WAGES
JAC
PACT
TOTAL
PLACEMENTS
FY 01
FY 02
FY 03
TO DATE
1
$7.39/hr
83
$7.95/hr
167
$8.32/hr
251
9
$8.82
127
$9.20/hr
196
$10.11/hr
332
10
210
363
583
Finding 6: Failed Connection
Program Design May Have Resulted
in Limited Post-Program Placement
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Critical program elements were
missing or of a low quality in POP:
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Formal screening & assessment at start
Intensive case management with low advisor-participant ratios
Education and job skills training
Job placement assistance
Job retention assistance
Difference in skills participants obtained
on the job and jobs available in the market
Finding 6: Failed Connection
High Unemployment Rates Put
Hard-to-Employ at Disadvantage
SOCIETAL BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT
Lack of Jobs Available in Community
80.7%
Pay Isn’t Enough to Support Family
42.2%
Lack of Jobs Available in Occupation
34.9%
Finding 6: Failed Connection
High Unemployment Rates Put
Hard-to-Employ at Disadvantage
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Unemployment Rates were high
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Non-High School Graduates Disadvantaged
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9.7% unemployment in 2002
People of Color Disadvantaged
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8.2% in NYC in 2002
9.6% for Latinas in 2002
11.0% for Non-Hispanic Blacks in 2002
Single Mothers w/ Less than High School
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In 2003, only 39.4% employed
Figures based on CSS tabulations from Current Population Survey
Finding 6: Failed Connection
When in Need, Unemployed Program
Leavers Return to Public Support
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Though most were looking for work throughout
(79.1%), some needed public support…
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85% accessed unemployment benefits
68% were receiving assistance when surveyed
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Food Stamps
Medicaid
Cash Assistance
90.6%
91.9%
57.8%
Conclusion
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The Parks Opportunity Program was an
excellent public sector jobs program
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Employed large numbers in good paying city jobs
However, as a transitional jobs program,
failed to provide participants with the
comprehensive supports necessary for success
it
Needed
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Fusion of large-scale living wage paying public
jobs initiative with positive elements of higher
quality transitional job support elements
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Critical improvements to move beyond simply
being good temporary jobs program and
toward an effective transitional jobs program
Recommendations
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1: Diversify positions available
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2: Provide links to long-term employment
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3: Make available training and education
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4: Extend program length
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5: Incorporate flexibility into program model
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6: Expand work supports