WorkFirst Services

WorkFirst Programs provide temporary community-based work and skill building experience to individuals who are on a TANF grant (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families)

TANF is Washington State’s temporary cash assistance program. The goals of the WorkFirst Program is to help low-income families stabilize their lives, so they can go to work and take better care of their families.

WorkFirst Programs provide temporary community-based work and skill building experience to individuals who are on a TANF grant (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families). Participants who have experienced barriers in entering the regular job market are given the opportunity to work while continuing on public assistance. Their TANF checks are converted to a wage and they are paid for the work that they do. The goal of this program is to lead to permanent jobs, and eliminate the need for assistance. Program enrollment is completed by DSHS.

It is based on the belief that everyone has abilities needed in today’s workforce, and those who can work should.

Some of the programs within WorkFirst are

Community Jobs

Community Jobs is a comprehensive, paid work program that combines a variety of activities to increase employability of participants and provides paid temporary employment to parents who have multiple barriers.

This is a great program for parents who need time to stabilize their lives while preparing to go to work. Other intensive case management services are also provided.

Work assignments are 20 hours per week and provide opportunities for parents to gain job skills in a structured, supervised work environment. Each Community Jobs parent engages in activities to enhance their employability and receives a wage for their employment.

For a more comprehensive narrative on WorkFirst Program available at CCAP, see the following: WorkFirst

Please call CCAP at 360-500-4553 or 1-800-828-4883 for more information.

Job Connections

The Job Connection program provides participants an opportunity to build references, develop networking connections, and demonstrate their work skills by performing jobs within their chosen field of employment.

In Job Connection, CCAP places participants in paid positions for up to three months with local nonprofit, tribal or government agencies. Employment is paired with targeted job hunting activities and mentoring opportunities. The goal is to secure unsubsidized employment.

In Career Jump, a subset of the Job Connection program, participants gain paid work experience while “on the job” with either a nonprofit or for-profit employer who has agreed to place them on their payroll at the end of the training period.

Career Development

The Career Development program provides long-term (up to 12 months) of unpaid work experience to complement a participant’s educational pathway. CCAP places participants in unpaid positions that reinforce specific skills, training, knowledge and experience necessary to obtain employment in the participant’s chosen career field.

The Career Development Program provides students a means to obtain experience while they are completing their education.

Acknowledgement of Federal Funding

“This project was supported by Grant No. 1302WATANF awarded by US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the HHS. Grant funds are administered by the WorkFirst Program, Washington State Department of Commerce.”