Effective July 1, 2001 an individual may participate in Vocational Education & Training or Education Related to Training for their mandatory work activity up to their sixty-month lifetime limit.  Weekly classroom time and allowable study time shall be applied toward the recipient's weekly work requirement of 30 hours (20 hours of participation for a single parent with a child under age 6).

It is no longer necessary to keep track of how long an individual has been in an education component.  Each recipient shall be subject to the sixty-month lifetime limit for receipt of Temporary Assistance unless otherwise exempt at the end of the sixty months.

It is widely recognized that training and education enhances an individual's employment opportunities.  For this reason we support anyone's decision to be in an education component.  Our role is to assist an individual to make quality decisions regarding education and the appropriate facility, if that is their choice.  We provide assessments, skilled training dollars (DESE-6) and testing that further helps the individual's selection.  Each case manager should become acquainted with resources in their community (assessment centers, education facilities, etc.) to better assist families. 

Assessment centers can provide the case manager a tool to help determine what is the best course of action to becoming employed.  Assessments will assist the case manager and participant in setting goals using the participant's employment goals, educational abilities, job skills and past employment history, to decide employment possibilities and/or training needs.  Missouri is supporting education and this is the opportunity to utilize what the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has to offer.

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs are now referred to as the Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) programs.  The emphasis in all education programs is family literacy.  Staff is encouraged to make referrals to Parents as Teachers, Headstart, AEL programs, vocational schools, skilled training programs, community colleges, universities and any other community resource that supports training and education.  Utilize DESE funding whenever applicable.  Welfare to Work dollars may also be another source for training.  Refer to Memorandums, Vocational/Job Skills Training Funding, IM-150, October 8, 1999 and Assessment Centers Usage and Availability, IM 60, March 30, 2000 for further information about assessment centers and DESE funding.  Contact Debbie Bower-Hazlett at 573/751-9488 with questions.

Though not required if the mandatory hours are met, education may be combined with job readiness or employment and is encouraged.  A participant could include support counseling for substance abuse, addressing domestic violence issues, mental and physical health issues and job readiness and job search while going to school.  All these activities can be included in the participant's plan in addition to their required activity.  It is important to remember that the plan may be rewritten and new opportunities presented to a participant.  The case manager can assist the participant to make informed decisions to become self reliant while receiving Temporary Assistance.

• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

• Effective July 1, 2001 no longer keep track of the education components for time limits.

• Utilize assessment centers and training dollars to support education for participants.

• Refer to Memorandums IM-150, 1999 and IM-60, 2000.

• Temporary Assistance/Case Management manual changes will follow.