In the search for ways to put Americans back to work, President Obama looked to a program created in Georgia eight years ago, Georgia Works. Unlike many proposals put forward by either Republicans or Democrats, this one appears to have bipartisan support. Here's a snapshot of how it works.
The basics
Georgians receiving unemployment benefits are matched with employers who are seeking employees and who agree to provide up to eight weeks of training. The employers do not pay the workers, who work no more than 24 hours a week; instead workers continue to receive their unemployment checks and a $240 stipend to help cover transportation, child care and other expenses.
Advantages
Employers get up to eight weeks to assess the job candidate, at no cost. If the company decides to hire the candidate, it has avoided the cost of training that worker.
Job seekers get a chance to assess the company and to show what they can do. Whether or not they are hired, they get training and experience that may benefit them down the line.
Disadvantages
The amount and quality of training workers receive is dependent on participating companies. Companies get free trainees at the taxpayers' expense. Workers receive very little money during the time that they are in the program.
History
2003: Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond launches the program.
2005: The U.S. Labor Department recognizes the Georgia agency as the most effective in the nation for helping unemployed residents get back to work quickly.
2009: With 10 percent of Georgia workers unemployed, Thurmond, a Democrat, expands the program, making it available to anyone who is out of work, not just those eligible for unemployment benefits.
2010: On the heels of the expansion, the cost to the sate increases dramatically.
2011: New Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, a Republican, scales back the program, restricting eligibility once again to those collecting unemployment.
Outcomes
More than 32,000 workers and 16,000 companies have participated. One-quarter of workers were hired by the firm they trained with.
What critics say
"A review of data for the Georgia Works trainees who found employment between November 24, 2009 and September 30, 2010 shows two-fifths found jobs doing general clerical work. ... 70 percent of the trainees hired after the end of the training program found employment in these or similar low-wage jobs."
-- Eileen Appelbaum, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research
“We reviewed Georgia Works. It looks more like work than training. You can’t try someone out and not pay them. It’s not allowed under our nation’s labor laws.”
-- Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Project
What fans say
"We stand ready to work with [President Obama] if there is interest in implementing a similar program on the federal level."
-- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.
"Georgia Works should be deployed on a national basis. It is a proven, effective approach to helping the jobless get back to work.”
-- The Rev. Jesse Jackson, president of the Rainbow Push Coalition
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