CareerLink - A cooperative effort among federal, state, and local investors to provide
one-stop delivery of career services to job seekers, employers, and other
interested individuals. Local CareerLink systems are guided by local Workforce
Investment Boards. "CareerLink" also refers to the Internet site designed to
support the CareerLink system. http://www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us
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CareerLink Consortium - A group of 5 entities which has been designated as the operator of the One-Stop
Career Center for Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, the consortium is made up of
the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC), Office of Vocational
Rehabilitation (OVR), Department of Labor & Industry (DLI), Department of
Public Welfare (DPW), and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
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Case Management - Service provided to clients to help address general non-job related problems
such as child-care and transportation.
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Cash Benefits - Refers to the actual money received by TANF clients from the Department of
Public Welfare (DPW).
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Core Services - The first of three levels of service provided by CareerLink. These services
include: job search and placement assistance, access to labor market
information, and information regarding unemployment insurance and training
programs.
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County Assistance Office (CAO) - These are the local Department of Public Welfare (DPW) offices in Pennsylvania
counties. There are 19 district offices in the City of Philadelphia. Benefits
administration and program referrals for TANF recipients are conducted at these
offices.
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Customized Job Training (CJT) - Training tailored specifically to the needs of a particular employer for a
specified job category.
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Dislocated Worker - An individual who has been laid off from their current employment and is
seeking placement and training services.
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Ex-offender - An individual with a criminal record.
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Individual Training Account (ITA) - Established under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to change the way training
dollars are distributed. Under WIA, funds for training are distributed through
an individual voucher system for adult training funds authorized under Title I
of the Act. Local workforce investment boards are responsible for setting
policy for local ITA programs.
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Intensive Services - The second of three levels of service provided by the CareerLink. These
services include all core services as well as case management and
non-industry-specific services such as GED, ESL, and literacy development.
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Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) - This office is the division of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and
Industry that administers the Commonwealth's federal vocational rehabilitation
program. The mission of OVR is "to assist Pennsylvanians with disabilities to
get or keep a job." (Also see WIA Title IV)
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On-the-Job Training (OJT) - Provision of training services to new employees for a period of time upon
employment. During this time, employee wages may be partially subsidized.
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One-Stop Career Center System - A delivery system that coordinates an array of previously unconnected job
training and other employment-focused programs. One-Stops were piloted in many
states during the mid-1990s through implementation grants awarded by the U.S.
Department of Labor. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 mandated the
creation of One-Stop Career Center systems in all local workforce investment
areas. Under the law, one-stop systems must include a dozen mandated
partners-all of whom must be represented on local workforce investment
boards-and are overseen by the local boards.
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Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC) - A nearly $100 million nonprofit agency that administers several local workforce
development-related efforts on behalf of the City and Commonwealth. On behalf
of the City, it acts as the Fiscal Agent for funds authorized under Title I of
the Workforce Investment Act and administers Greater Philadelphia Works. It
also administers the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) program for the Pa.
Department of Public Welfare. The Philadelphia Workforce Development
Corporation was formerly known as the Private Industry Council of Philadelphia.
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Public Assistance - Term used to refer to the assistance received by TANF recipients.
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Stipend - Periodic payment made to training program participants to help offset program
related costs such as transportation and meals.
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Tax Credit - Offsets against tax liability. Some are given by government to individuals or
companies who carry out certain activities or who meet certain designated
criteria. (i.e. Tax credits are given to companies that hire welfare
recipients.)
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Team Pennsylvania - A public-private partnership between business, government, communities, and
economic developers to provide resources needed for businesses to launch or
expand operations in Pennsylvania.
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Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) - The federal block grant that gives states the responsibility and federal funds
to create their own welfare systems. Pennsylvania's approach to TANF is
delineated in Act 35, passed by the legislature in May 1996. TANF was
previously called and commonly referred to as "welfare".
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Wage Subsidy - Contribution made to employer to help offset wages of an employee, perhaps
during training.
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Welfare-to-Work - A term used to describe TANF recipients' transitions from welfare dependency to
obtaining employment and self-sufficiency.
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Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) - Public Law 102-220 signed by President Clinton on August 7, 1998. That statute
calls for the creation of a national network of statewide, locally-driven
workforce investment systems to increase employment, productivity, occupational
skill attainment, and competitiveness of national, state, and local economies
through the leveraging of several publicly funded job training programs. This
effort is coordinated and overseen at the local level by Workforce Investment
Boards.
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Workforce Investment Board (WIB) - Entity responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Workforce
Investment Act in a particular Workforce Investment Area.
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Workforce Investment Boards (WIB), Local - Created to ensure that workforce development services, operating within a local
and/or regional workforce investment system, effectively and efficiently
supports the labor and job training demands of each area's industries. Local
boards are responsible for the development of a local five-year workforce
investment plan.
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Wrap Around - Services provided to clients that include non-industry-specific skills training
to prepare them for permanent employment. Wrap around services may include
training in "life skills," time management, and budgeting.
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