Main MenuNEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@alpha.nsula.edu
)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
1/21/2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES -The Northwestern Works/Welfare to Work program at Northwestern State University will honor participants who are well on their way to success with a "Hats Off" celebration Friday, Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. at the Ryder Inn in Natchitoches. The program will honor 10 former participants from Natchitoches, Sabine and Red River parishes who have been successfully employed for one year.
These individuals have been working at ConAgra, ARAMARK, Kentucky Fried Chicken in Natchitoches and Holloway Sportswear in Many.
"Being on the job for one year is an important milestone that deserves to be honored," said Emma Lewis, acting coordinator of NSU's Welfare to Work Program. "Each person has learned how to be part of the work force and deal with the challenges they face. We want to encourage them to continue and go on to greater accomplishments."
The Northwestern Works/Welfare to Work program is funded with a grant from the Coordinating and Development Corporation of Shreveport and operates in Natchitoches, Sabine and Red River parishes. Under "Northwestern Works," education, business, government and community agencies are linked together in a way which will utilize available resources most effectively. The program focuses on welfare recipients with 30 or more months of receipt or who face termination from assistance within 12 months and face specified labor market deficiencies (lack of a high school diploma or GED and low reading/math skills; require substance abuse treatment or have little or no job history.)
The plan also targets individuals who have characteristics associated with long-term welfare dependence such as school dropout, teen pregnancy or poor work history and are recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The Office of Family Support will identify "hard to employ" TANF recipients and refer them to the appropriate services.
In the program, they are provided with job readiness training, placement assistance along with retention and support services.
Northwestern's program began operation July 1, 1998.
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