Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., January 28, 2008 Shvat 21, 5768 | | Israel Time: 04:12 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 04:12 28/01/2008 Panel recommends expansion of Wisconsin welfare-to-work plan By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel, Wisconsin plan  The Wisconsin welfare-to-work program should be expanded from its pilot projects in a handful of municipalities to the whole country, according the recommendations of a National Academy of Sciences committee appointed to oversee the program. The panel also recommended opening the program to people who receive various kinds of benefits. The committee, which has been at work for two years, is to submit its recommendations to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday. The committee's final report, which has been obtained by Haaretz, recommends the program's expansion based on lessons learned from the pilot projects and from similar programs implemented in 13 other countries. Advertisement The committee, headed by Prof. Menachem Ya'ari and consisting of six senior academics and six civil servants, wrote that "the number of participants who found work or expanded existing jobs during the pilot stage was higher than among non-participants receiving benefits." The committee also said that the number of those who found jobs was relatively higher than in other countries with similar programs. The pilot was operated in Jerusalem, Ashkelon, Nazareth and Hadera, by private foreign companies in partnership with Israeli companies. It was launched in August 2005. The committee recommended private companies continue to run the programs "because of their ability to meet the goals of the program efficiently." The committee also suggests non-profit groups should run the program, which has been successful in other countries. The committee cautioned that "transfering authority for the provision of social services to the private sector requires additional care." It recommended, for example, awarding bonuses to operators only by job placement rather than by the amount of money they save the state in welfare payments, a measure that has already been partially implemented. The committee recommends incremental benefit reductions for participants if they do not meet the requirements of the program, rather than suddenly taking all their benefits away. The committee opposes the exemption of people over the age of 45 from participation in the program, given by Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai. However, the committee did recommend exemptions for people based on functional difficulties. Thus it suggests requiring the program to provide aptitude testing for potential levels of employability. Finding people jobs and then providing on-the-job training, which was found to be more efficient than training first, will continue to be the program's goal. However training and education should be expanded, the report states, along with incentives like child-care. Job requirements for program administrators should be upgraded, the committee determined, to include an undergraduate degree rather than only high-school education, and experience in the field of employment. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Officer convicted A military court convicts an IDF officer who led troops in a West Bank rampage. A different Anne Frank A Dutch Jewish condemns the distribution of a postcard of Anne Frank wearing kaffiyeh.

Today Online PM promises Abbas not to disrupt flow of aid to Gaza Responses: 182 Anti-Semitic incidents rise in Germany, Australia, U.S. in 2007 Responses: 131 Editorial: Gaza border crisis endangers peace with Egypt Responses: 120 Gideon Levy: IDF troops fell because of Israel's war of folly Responses: 81 Dutch Jewish group slams image of Anne Frank wearing kaffiyeh Responses: 70 Rosner's Domain Two days before the Florida primary, Rudy seeks solace in football The best Jewish date (What To Read) McCain using support for Israel to court Jews - and Christians Poll: How important is Israel in the 2008 election? More Headlines 04:07 Source: PM has no plan yet on J'lem's fate 02:45 Officials: Israel won't let Gaza border breach threaten security 02:21 Iran offers to help Egypt deal with chaos at Gaza Strip border 23:48 Report: Barak met secretly with Pakistan's Musharraf last week 01:13 Lodz Ghetto document reveals 'Israel's 1st declaration of independence' 23:51 IAF wounds four Hamas militants in strike on armored car in Gaza 00:38 Arab FMs nix Syrian bid to strengthen Hezbollah as 8 killed in Lebanon 23:51 Palestinians stream back to Gaza as Egypt chokes off supplies 14:54 State: Israel to restore supply of industrial-use fuel to Gaza Strip 21:38 IDF reservists: Military must be kept out of political arguments 17:22 Court convicts IDF officer who led troops in W. Bank rampage 01:38 AG: No cops will be indicted for involvement in October 2000 riot deaths 22:09 Shas rabbis: Party will quit coalition immediately if J'lem discussed Previous Editions Select Day 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan

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