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U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Welfare-to-Work

 

Background

Office of Personnel Management Guidance

Welfare to Work Hiring Statistics

INTRODUCTION

In his March 8, 1997 memorandum, President Clinton reiterated his commitment to providing employment opportunities to welfare recipients and directed the heads of the federal government's executive departments and agencies to lead by example and move people off the welfare rolls into federal jobs using available hiring authorities. The President asked Vice President Gore to oversee this effort.

The Office of Personnel Management Welfare to Work web pages provide guidance regarding hiring authorities available for use in the efforts of Executive Departments and Agencies to provide employment opportunities for welfare recipients.

In his March 8, 1997, memorandum, President Clinton identified the Worker-Trainee Program as an option agencies can use to hire people off the welfare rolls. To provide you with updated information on this program, we have included a description of the programs background as well as specifics relating to current appointment provisions.

In addition to the Worker-Trainee Program, federal agencies have many additional hiring options to consider. Among them are permanent, temporary and term appointments in the competitive service, as well as numerous excepted service authorities. These excepted service authorities include many that are agency-specific, and a number that are government-wide authorities. These web pages describe the government-wide authorities most likely to be used for the Welfare to Work program. In addition to the Worker-Trainee Program, there may be a number of welfare recipients who qualify for the appointment options requiring additional experience, education and/or military service.

We will be happy to assist agencies in developing your recruitment strategies. Call the Staffing Reinvention Office at 202-606-0830 or send an email inquiry to <w2w@opm.gov>.

Updated 19 February 2001