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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 18
West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 116 Chapter 18 WV WORKS Activities/Requirements
The Joint Opportunities for Independence Program (JOIN) is a State-operated employment program that provides clients the opportunity to participate in a work program that closely resembles full-time employment. The participant may receive work experience in the private or public sector to improve his present job skills or to train him in new job skills. The work experience must meet local labor market demands. A client is eligible if he has the necessary motivation, employment potential, education, previous work history and skills to benefit from the program. A placement should match the client’s interests as determined during the assessment process. No client may participate in JOIN for more than 12 months, nor for more than 40 hours per week. Prior to placement, a JOIN participation agreement must be completed. The client must be given copies of the job description and informed of the job requirements and general working conditions. A review of the client’s progress must be conducted at the end of the first 6 months of participation or earlier, to determine if there is satisfactory progress toward the goal of employment. The expected result of JOIN participation is employment, either at the JOIN training site or with another employer. The possibility of obtaining employment at the JOIN training site must be evaluated. Any contractor who repeatedly fails to commit to hiring placements may be denied future contracts. The client must be given the opportunity to evaluate his own placement and be involved in the review process. 18.13.2.A Who May Be a JOIN Contractor Any employer licensed to conduct business in West Virginia is eligible to be a JOIN contractor, provided all business tax payments are current. In addition, the potential contractor must agree to the requirements specified below. NOTE: WV WORKS participants must not participate as a volunteer with Community Service at any active JOIN contract site regardless of whether or not there is a current JOIN placement at that site.