Commitment to Progress--Welfare to Work Strategic Initiative To: "A - Division Chief and Staff", "B - Branch Chiefs and Offices" cc: "Barbara J Ryan, Reston, VA" , "Ron Hosenfeld, Sioux Falls, SD" , "Catherine L Hill, ACH/Operations, Reston, VA" , "Stephen F Blanchard, Deputy ACHO, Reston, VA" , "Norman E Schmidt Jr., Ch., Br. of Human Res. Mgmt., Reston, VA" , "Michelle L Frederick, Human Resources Mgmt. Asst, Reston, VA" , "Alice C Dilandro, Secretary (S), Reston, VA" Subject: Commitment to Progress--Welfare to Work Strategic Initiative Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 16:28:05 -0500 From: "Catherine L Hill, ACH/Operations, Reston, VA" In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 441 MEMORANDUM February 23, 1998 To: All Water Resources Division Supervisors and Managers From: Catherine L. Hill /signed/ Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations Subject: Commitment to Progress--Welfare to Work Strategic Initiative The attached memorandum from the Associate Director for Operations describes Secretary Babbitt's commitment to the President's Welfare to Work Strategic Initiative. This initiative is a viable staffing tool used by the Department of the Interior to help citizens remove themselves from the welfare rolls. Secretary Babbitt has established a goal of hiring 325 welfare recipients over the next 4 years. The U.S. Geological Survey has in turn established a goal of hiring a minimum of 11 welfare recipients. In the Water Resources Division, we have already had a very positive experience with the Initiative with the placement of a talented individual in the National Water Quality Laboratory. Many welfare recipients are eligible for entry level positions such as administrative clerks, computer assistants, and possibly as physical science or hydrologic aides. Since welfare support is cut off when a recipient is employed, the issue of starting salary and benefits is something of real importance that we need to consider. If permanent appointments are not feasible, term appointments should be considered or Student Career Employment Program appointments if the individual has returned to school, both of which earn the employee health and insurance benefits. The target grade level should be GS-3 if the candidate qualifies and depending on the local cost of living adjustment. Headquarters and Regional Personnel Offices will be distributing vacancies and establishing relationships with welfare and human resource offices to locate and recruit welfare recipients for vacant positions. I am very supportive of the President's Welfare to Work Initiative and hope that you will strongly consider its use in your staffing plans. Attachment In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 601 MEMORANDUM To: Supervisors and Managers From: Barbara J. Ryan /s/ Barbara J. Ryan Associate Director Subject: Commitment to Progress - Welfare to Work Strategic Initiative On March 8, 1997, President Clinton's Welfare To Work Strategic Initiative encouraged Federal agencies to do their fair share to assist heads of households transitioning from welfare dependence to self-sufficiency. The challenge to the Federal community was to lead by example. Secretary Babbitt followed the President's memorandum with a challenge to Interior Department bureaus to hire 325 individuals over a four-year period. At the close of Fiscal Year (FY) 1997, the Department had met its goal and hired 60 welfare recipients (most are in the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management). To date, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) managers and supervisors have hired only three welfare recipients. I am certain that with more information and focused recruitment methods, the USGS can join the rest of the Department in full support of this worthwhile program, and meet our goal for FY 1998 of eleven hires (which includes 3 from our FY 97 goal). Although the USGS is still undergoing restructuring and downsizing efforts, including the potential use of another early retirement authority, limited hiring does occur, in administrative and clerical fields, as well as in technical areas. Managers need to be aware that welfare recipients are not necessarily low-skilled individuals. They may be college students, college graduates, or others with skills and training who have, for one reason or another, been forced to accept assistance in order to support their families. Welfare recipients may be hired under any existing appointing authority and into any position or grade provided they meet qualifications and eligibility requirements. The principal barrier to hiring welfare recipients is in providing Federal application and vacancy information to individuals who need jobs. State and local social services representatives have a clear mandate to succeed in this program, but frequently spend time and resources simply finding shelter, clothing, child care, transportation and food for their clients, and have scant opportunity to locate and refer job vacancies or to explain application procedures. We must ensure that this information is made available to clients. In addition, we must continue to forge effective working relationships with local and state representatives, so that referral of candidates to USGS vacancies becomes routine. The Office of Personnel has developed a web page for your use at: http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/hro/employ/welfare.html which describes the program in full and gives guidance to managers in filling positions with Welfare to Work candidates. The page also contains "hot links" to other Federal web sites developed for the Welfare To Work initiative. You are encouraged to utilize this information in consultation with servicing personnel specialists to enhance recruitment of welfare recipients. Secretary Babbitt has emphasized this initiative as one whose relevance is not limited to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and which requires the coordinated efforts of all bureaus, their respective field offices, and all supervisors or managers who have hiring opportunities within their organizations. As frontline managers and supervisors, it is you who are the key to successful implementation of, and full commitment to the goals of this initiative.