I enjoyed the luncheon meeting, although at times it was a bit difficult to hear. Unfortunately, I was already committed to another session and missed the afternoon breakout session on Connecting Low Income and Hard-to-Serve Talent Pools, so forgive me if my comments were already covered in that session.
In my experience, the problems faced by the low-wage/TANF population are quite different from those faced by the ex-offender population. In the West Alabama/East Mississippi (WAEM) Region, the low-wage population typically does not have a high school diploma, faces challenges with childcare, and does not have reliable transportation. While our WIA partners do have on-site GED classes for this population, they do not have funding for supportive services such as transportation and childcare. Although on-line GED classes are available, the majority of the low-wage population does not have a home computer or internet necessary to access this service.
The ex-offender population faces problems with employers wishing to avoid the potential liability issues, especially among violent offenders. Even non-violent offenders often have problems finding employment in certain industries due to mandatory background checks, bonding issues, and travel restrictions while on parole. On the bright side, the prisons here have a strong GED program. Perhaps exposure to entrepreneurship classes would help this population to create their own jobs.
Ken Dupre
WAEM WIRED Initiative
The Montgomery Institute
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