Trial employment match program.

A Wisconsin Works agency shall administer a trial employment match program as part of its administration of the Wisconsin Works program to improve the employability of individuals who otherwise are not able to obtain unsubsidized employment, as determined by the Wisconsin Works agency, by providing work experience and training to assist them to move promptly into unsubsidized employment. In determining an appropriate placement for a participant, a Wisconsin Works agency shall give priority to placement under this subsection over placements under subs. (4) and (5).

The Wisconsin Works agency shall pay to an employer that employs a participant under this subsection a wage subsidy in an amount that is negotiated between the Wisconsin Works agency and the employer but that is not more than the state or federal minimum wage that applies to the participant. The wage subsidy shall be paid for each hour that the participant actually works, up to a maximum of 40 hours per week. The employer shall pay the participant any difference between the wage subsidy amount and the participant’s wage and must pay the participant at least minimum wage. In addition to paying the wage subsidy, the Wisconsin Works agency may, as negotiated between the Wisconsin Works agency and the employer, reimburse the employer for all or a portion of other costs that are attributable to the employment of the participant, including any of the following: 1. Federal social security and Medicare taxes. 2. State and federal unemployment contributions or taxes. 3. Worker’s compensation insurance premiums.

A trial employment match program job includes education and training activities, as prescribed by the employer as an integral part of work performed in trial employment match program employment.

The employer shall provide the participant with worker’s compensation coverage.

A participant under this subsection may participate in a trial employment match program job for a maximum of 6 months, with an opportunity for a 3-month extension under circumstances determined by the Wisconsin Works agency. A participant may participate in more than one trial employment match program job, but may not exceed a total of 24 months of participation under this subsection. The months need not be consecutive. The department or, with the approval of the department, the Wisconsin Works agency may grant an extension of the 24-month limit on a case-by-case basis if the participant has made all appropriate efforts to find unsubsidized employment and has been unable to find unsubsidized employment because local labor market conditions preclude a reasonable job opportunity for that participant, as determined by a Wisconsin Works agency and approved by the department.

An employer that employs a participant under this subsection and receives a wage subsidy shall agree to make a good faith effort to retain the participant as a permanent unsubsidized employee after the wage subsidy ends, although nothing in this subsection requires an employer to retain a participant as a permanent unsubsidized employee after the wage subsidy ends. An employer shall also agree that, if the employer does not retain a participant as a permanent unsubsidized employee, the employer will serve as an employment reference for the participant or provide to the Wisconsin Works agency a written performance evaluation of the participant, including recommendations for improvements.

Notwithstanding s. 49.145 (1) and (2) (a), an individual who would be eligible for a job under this subsection except that the individual is a noncustodial parent of a dependent child is eligible for placement under this subsection, subject to s. 49.159 (1) (b) 2., if the individual is eligible for services and benefits under s. 49.159 (1) (a).