EARN System Services Can Help Businesses

Submitted by: Daisy Rosa, Vice President of Transitional Workforce
Division, Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation

For employers and small businesses that are looking for ways to cut costs, the services offered through the city’s EARN System may be a viable option. The Employment, Advancement and Retention Network (EARN) System provides employment and training services to help unemployed welfare recipients striving to reach economic self-sufficiency. Employers that hire through the EARN System are offered a myriad of incentives to support long term employment retention and productivity.

One such service is the national Work Certified Program. This comprehensive job readiness curriculum developed by employers gives potential and incumbent employees the fundamental skills they need to achieve job proficiency and certify their proficiency. Designed to prepare participants for entry level positions, the Work Certified program concentrates on topics such as business math, business writing and basic computers. As a result, Work Certified candidates enter the job market with basic business skills that are often lacking in those who are not Work Certified. By providing work-ready candidates this program helps employers reduce recruitment, training, and staff retention costs.

In addition to Work Certified, Jobs Specific Skills Training is also offered to the EARN System participants. Through this formal skills training, clients participate in activities specifically designed to improve an individual’s proficiency on the job so they can succeed in the workplace.

Employers that hire through the EARN System may also take part in the Wage Subsidy and Paid Work Experience incentives. Through the Wage Subsidy program, qualified employers are reimbursed a percentage of the wages they pay their employees for up to six months. Additionally, Paid Work Experience (PWE), one of the most effective and cost efficient ways to recruit and retain prospective employees, gives employers the opportunity to audition potential staff for up to six months, 20 hours per week at no cost to the employer.

Other incentives offered through the EARN System include, recruitment and pre-screening services, tax credit programs, child care assistance and on-going case management.

Although services are delivered to participants through nine neighborhood based EARN centers, services for employers are streamlined to one consolidated resource -the TWD Employer Hotline. By calling the TWD Employer Hotline, employers have direct access to our EARN Center representatives who are charged with delivering all the necessary services to support employer needs. For more information about the EARN System, please call 1-888-557-2535.

About the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation
The Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC) is a private non-profit organization that has been providing quality employment services to the residents of Philadelphia for over 35 years. As the city’s fiscal agent for federal and state employment and training dollars, PWDC invests an array of resources to hundreds of job training providers and employers in the region to increase their capabilities to provide adequate services for unemployed individuals.

The Transitional Workforce Division (TWD) of PWDC oversees the operations in the EARN System, Philadelphia’s largest welfare-to-work system. The EARN (Employment, Advancement and Retention Network) System utilizes nine neighborhood based centers to provide employment and training services to help unemployed individuals striving to reach economic self-sufficiency. Through this system, PWDC has helped to place thousands of underserved individuals into employment and training opportunities which has helped to strengthen the regional economy.

*If you know of a for-profit member involved with a community initiative or non-profit organization that is looking to gain a little extra exposure, please have them send a two-paragraph overview of the program and their level of participation to tmanco@greaterphilachamber.com