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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES SNAP EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING

10/25 VOLUME V, PART XXV, PAGE 20

employment. There should be a direct link between the activities and the member’s ability to obtain employment. Employment and Training participants, if offered regular employment, should be able to accept it. Programs designed for individuals who are still in high school are unlikely to meet these requirements. For example, drop-out prevention programs, career exploration activities, or summer youth employment programs, while admirable, do not meet these requirements. In the alternative, a program where an industry sponsor provides specific job training after school or in the evenings that is designed to lead directly and promptly to regular employment may be allowable.

3. Use of SNAP E&T funds may be used in certain cases for individuals above the Age of compulsory education and who are not attending high school: Individuals aged 16 or 17 who are head of the households or not attending school may be subject to the work requirements. In such cases, it would be appropriate for the Eligibility Worker to refer the individual to SNAP E&T. The associated costs must be allowable as detailed above. Interested SNAP participants who are 16 or 17 years of age and who are not attending high school should be referred to work with their state workforce agencies to coordinate services with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Program.

I. PROVIDER DETERMINATIONS

Provider determinations are issued when SNAP E&T participants have been determined to be ill- suited to participate in assigned Employment and Training component activities by a provider. LDSS staff are required to notify SNAP E&T participants who have been issued provider determination by an Employment and Training program or 50/50 provider within 10 days of receiving the information from the provider. By the next recertification period the LDSS must select one of the following steps after an individual receives a provider determination.

1. Refer the individual to an appropriate employment and training component;

2. Refer the individual to an appropriate workforce partnership, if available;

3. Re-assess the individual for mental and physical fitness; or 4. Coordinate with other Federal, State, or local workforce or assistance programs to identify other Employment and Training opportunities.

Provider Determinations are required to be documented in the VaCMS and a notation of which one of the four steps listed above was taken.

J. WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIPS

Workforce Partnerships are cultivated by fostering partnerships with Employers, Employer Service Organizations, not-for-profits or eligible WIOA service providers. Workforce Partnerships for SNAP E&T participants are focused on gaining employment and training opportunities. Workforce Partnerships must be approved by the SNAP E&T unit or state contracted providers of Employment and Training programs. For ABAWD participants, Workforce Partners must provide at least 20 hours of training, work or work experience. The SNAP E&T provider must provide SNAP participants with information about workforce partnerships, so that participants can make an informed decision. TRANSMITTAL #36