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Barriers
Skill Deficiencies
Affordable Child Care
Dependable & Accessible Transportation
Others
The thriving economy and the social disparity in Austin contribute to
a dynamic workforce environment. The current demand for workers is balanced
by the pressing need for certain disadvantaged segments of the population
to find full-time employment that allows self-sufficiency. If barriers
to employment can be removed for this segment of workers, Austin businesseswill benefit. It is a rare opportunity to meet both the
needs of employers and the needs of workers simultaneously.
Travis County business leaders, service providers, educators, and state
and local researchers have identified several barriers that often prevent
the under-utilized workforce from achieving self-sufficient employment.
The three most critical barriers are lack of job skills and experience,
lack of affordable, quality child care, and lack of dependable and accessible
transportation.
Additionally, personal factors such as physical disabilities, mental
health issues, or substance abuse and situational factors such as domestic
violence, homelessness or immigrations status make it even more difficult
for individuals to overcome the educational, training, and logistical "getting
to work" barriers described above. Since these barriers are issue
areas to themselves, they will not be addressed in depth at this time.
This is not to minimize their importance in any way, rather this is done
to maintain a focus on those issues which were identified most often in
the workforce development research.
This mix of multiple obstacles for some individuals can lessen the probability
that they will find employment that allows self-sufficiency (U.S.
Dept. of Labor, Dec 1998). While overcoming these barriers is a necessary
step towards self-sufficiency, the wage level at which individuals are
employed ultimately determines whether or not one will reach self-sufficiency.
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A. Skill
Deficiencies
Basic skills
English as Second Language
Job specific and computer
skills
Work experience
As identified by both Austin employers and social service providers
in separate Workforce Development focus groups, the three main training
needs of the emerging, unemployed, and underemployed workforce in Travis
County are basic skills, English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and literacy
classes, and technical skills.
The fundamental issues across all areas of training are accessibility
and affordability. Providers stated that one of the major barriers
to workers receiving the training they need is funding. Funding is needed
both to expand available training programs and to support participants
while they attend training sessions. Providers described how financially
difficult it is for low-income individuals to take one to several weeks
off work to attend training sessions. Often, workers must stop attending
the training and return to a low-paying job just to earn enough money to
feed/house themselves and their families for the month. Other reasons for
not completing training programs are (in addition to child care and transportation)
housing crises, family crises, lack of continued case management, low self-esteem,
relocation, and health.
Basic skills. Basic skills include,
but are not limited to literacy, interviewing, job search, job coaching/mentoring,
confidence building, and appropriate behavior on-the-job. During focus
groups, both providers and employers agreed that many emerging and un/underemployed
workers need a significant amount of basic skills training before they
could be prepared for technical training such as computer basics. Employers
also mentioned that many new workers lack sufficient math skills.
ESL. In a focus group
of education and training service providers, one participant succinctly
captured the need for ESL classes in our community: "we can fill
any slots that open up." In fiscal year 1997, Austin Community
College expanded its capacity and the number of students they served
grew from
1,721 to 4,101 in FY1998. Not being able to obtain ESL training can
be a critical barrier for many individuals who need to obtain technical
or other basic skills training. Employers cited a growing demand for
not only ESL for Spanish-speaking, but also ESL classes for Asian workers
from various countries.
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Job specific and computer skills. During
the Workforce Development focus group, providers cited that the main way
to improve the workforce system is to enhance the link between employer
needs and worker skills. In addition to providing workers with basic literacy,
math, computer, and behavioral skills at work, the system also needs to
develop technically competent, skilled workers. Large and small employers
have indicated a need for more skilled workers in a variety of industries
including high tech, retail and restaurant services, construction, and
the small business community (Sharp, Aug 1998; Fiscal Notes, Nov/Dec 1998;
Austin Business Journal, Feb/Mar 1999).
Work experience. A
national survey of small businesses was conducted to determine how
many business owners had hired former welfare recipients since the
new welfare
law took effect (Levin-Waldman & McCarthy, 1998). Although it was
found that only 16% had hired former welfare recipients, it was also
found that small business owners were more interested in a potential
employee’s general experience than whether or not the individual
was a former welfare recipient. At the state level, the Texas
Comptroller reported that employers are more likely to hire applicants
who have solid work experience along with demonstrated skills (Sharp,
Dec 1996).
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For the emerging workforce (mostly youth preparing to enter the workforce
for the first time) significant efforts are underway to address the need
for gaining relevant work experience. Schools, local government, and multiple
service providers are working together to provide students with opportunities
to gain experience before formally entering the workforce.
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B. Child
Care
Accessibility
Affordability
Quality of care
Employers
System measurement
Social service providers who participated in Workforce Development focus
groups indicated that lack of affordable child care is a major barrier
preventing workers from completing job training or maintaining full employment.
The availability of accessible and affordable quality child care is also
the most frequently cited barrier to successful implementation of welfare-to-work
programs
Accessibility. Even when care is subsidized,
finding care that is reasonably close to one’s home or place of employment,
that has slots available for the age of one’s children, and is open during
the hours that the parent is working is a challenge. Because many low-income
workers use non-licensed child care, it is not possible to show the location
of care and proximity to the family’s residence or the parent’s
place of work. It is possible to locate licensed care in one’s neighborhood
via the web site of the Texas Department
of Protective and Regulatory Services. Licensed care facilities, both
child care centers and licensed family homes can be accessed by zip code.
Basic information about the facility is provided as well as number of slots
available. Typically, waiting lists are found for centers that are accredited.
Openings for infant care, for extended hours care, and for care for children
with special needs are most difficult to find. Finding care to meet the demands
of shift work is an increasing challenge.
Affordability. The cost of child care
is the most obvious obstacle to employment. It is useful to examine the
cost of child care as a percentage of the family’s income. A single
mother of one child making $6/hour has an annual income of $12,480. If
she pays $350 per month for child care, that amounts to 34% of her income.
If she has more than one child requiring child care, the expense is much
greater.
Because of the relative cost, few low-wage working mothers pay the market
rate for child care (Edin and Lein, 1997). Care is usually either subsidized
or provided by relatives or friends at reduced rates or for no cost. To
qualify for subsidized care, a parent must fall into one of several eligibilitycategories, most ranging from 150% to 185% of poverty
(refer to Table
3), but with some greater flexibility become available recently. Once
a parent no longer qualifies for subsidized care, the cost burden can increase
dramatically while wages increase only slightly.
Options for child care increase as family income rises, but costs of
care continue to be a major budget item. The cost of quality care, especially
when there is more than one child needing care, is a burden for the majority
of working-parent families. As noted in the Report of the Austin Child
Care Council to the Austin City Council (1998), "Families now actually
spend more on the early care and education of their children than they
contribute to the public university education of those children."
Quality of care. Issues of quality
of care address concerns about what is in the best interest of the child.
Markers of quality include objective measures such as staff to child ratio,
licensure, accreditation, and frequency of staff turnover. Additional indicators
include input from parents, cleanliness and appearance, and type and condition
of equipment and toys. More subjective indicators are also relevant and
include responsiveness to the child and amount and quality of attention
and interactions.
Employers. Concerns about child care
are also relevant for employers. With the largest segment of the workforce
ranging in age from 22-44 (CAWDB, 1999),
the period during which most adults begin families and raise children,
most employers will have large segments of their workforce composed of
parents of dependent children. If you combine this situation with the increase
in two-parent working and single parent families, the majority of workers
will need child care. Despite the recognition that the access to and cost
of child care can reduce productivity and ultimately affect profits, less
than one percent of the funding for child care or child development comes
from the private sector (Department of
the Treasury, 1998).
The Austin Area Employers’ Collaborative has identified only seven
employer-sponsored child care centers currently operating in the Austin
area, although others are in the planning stages. The total capacity of
these employer-sponsored centers is 677 children (Austin Area Employers’
Collaborative, Austin Families Inc., 1999).
Some Austin area employers have already
implemented family-friendly policies to employees. Such policies
include flex-time, paid time off, health insurance, and subsidies for
child
care and care for elders (Lein, Robinson, Steiner, and Lewis,1998).Some
benefits are easier for larger employers to provide than for small
businesses and vice-versa. For example, arranging or subsidizing
on- or near-site child care is reasonable for larger employers; while
smaller
employers may be more apt to allow employees to bring children to
work on school holidays.
Currently, the Austin Area Employers’ Collaborative
is conducting a survey of Austin area employers to determine the extent
to which family-friendly benefits are offered. These results will be
included in the assessment update.
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System measurement. Basic data to
track actual child care need and capacity are lacking (Child Care Council,
1998). Data regarding subsidized care through the local Child Care Management
System (CCMS) managed by the Texas Migrant Council provides some useful
information. Currently, CCMS is serving 2684 children in Travis County.
Sixteen percent of children eligible for subsidized care are currently
receiving it (Child Care Council, 1998). Of those served by CCMS, approximately
289 are children of TANF recipients participating in welfare to work programs.
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C. Transportation
Workforce and welfare reform legislation has forced federal and state
agencies to begin addressing the pivotal role played by transportation
on the road to self-sufficiency. Although welfare reform provisions require
recipients to obtain employment, according to the U.S.
Department of Transportation, over 90% of welfare recipients do not
own a car.
A 1998 study by the Texas Department
of Health and Human Services identified 164,458 people in Travis County
who are transportation disadvantaged. This population is composed of persons
who are 65 and older, persons with disabilities, and persons living at or
below the federal poverty level. These groups must rely on public transportation.
The welfare to work session at the Texas
Transportation Planning Conference in June, 1998, cited the following
employment transportation barriers:
- Geographic mismatch - employers with entry level jobs are not generally
located near neighborhoods of welfare recipients or persons with
low incomes
- Bad timing – many entry-level jobs require shift work, odd
hours and evening and weekend hours – times when buses run irregularly
- Impractical situations – very long trips, many transfers,
long walks, compounded by child care needs
- Inadequate public transit – especially in the rural areas
- Old, uncoordinated service models -
- Most routes move in and out of downtown – efficient
but inflexible
- Vans for special populations like the elderly and people
with disabilities – flexible but inefficient
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These barriers effect the entire transportation disadvantaged population
in our community and are not limited to the welfare-to-work population.
Currently, public transportation is provided by Capital
Metro, the only bus service in Austin, which offers a variety of services,
including free rides for the mobility impaired Vanpools for employers,
and the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) program for rural
Travis County residents. It should be noted, CARTS can only provide basic
mobility services due to funding limitations. Despite its limitations,
according to the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, CARTS is experiencing
steadily increasing demands for its services from workforce commuters,
local fixed route riders, and the growing elderly population.
The President, Federal Transit Administration and the Texas Governor
have all challenged communities to provide transportation services that
will enable welfare recipients and low-income persons in rural and urban
areas to travel to work. Only one group in Austin/Travis County, the Community
Action Network’s (CAN) Welfare-to-Work
Coalition has a planning process underway to address the needs of all
the transportation disadvantaged.
The CAN Welfare-to-Work Coalition (1999) has begun to develop avenues
for expansion of transportation options to support employment and training
needs. The goal is fuller utilization of existing community resources and
assets. Options include: recruitment of volunteers for car pools, private
vehicle procurement and maintenance, vanpool development for specific employers,
and obtainment of dedicated Capitol Metro buses and/or vans for TANF recipients.
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D. Other
Barriers:
Disabilities
Homelessness
Mental illness
Substance abuse
Immigration status
Domestic violence
Disabilities. Americans with disabilities
still face major gaps in income earnings and employment. According to the
Presidential Task
Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities (1998), seven out of ten
people with disabilities are unemployed and cannot find work. While challenging,
these conditions can be addressed with some success. According to the Texas
Rehabilitation Commission’s Annual Report for FY 1998, vocational
rehabilitation services greatly increase a person’s earning potential.
In Travis County, the average change in weekly income was from $63/week
before services to $338/week after services.
Homelessness. Lack of a place to live
creates many obstacles for individuals who want to work. Obstacles include:
lack of consistent access to showers/bathing facilities, lack of appropriate
and clean work attire, lack of consistent and safe places to sleep, pervasive
discrimination by employers, lack of phone contact or address when applying
for jobs, and other daily trials.
In addition to living without safe and secure shelter, having dependent
children, and/or being under the age of 18, many homeless individuals face
other barriers. These include mental illness (41% of homeless population),
substance abuse (16%), dual diagnoses (22 %), mental retardation/developmental
disabilities (unknown %), and physical disabilities (unknown %) (Austin/Travis
County Consolidated Application for HUD, 1998).
Mental illness. Among the barriers
that persons with mental illnesses face as they attempt to enter or stay
in the workforce include:
- Stigma attached to having mental health needs
- Inability to pay for services
- Disparity in insurance coverage for mental illnesses compared to physical
illness
- Lack of proactive, prevention, and early intervention services
- Brain/thought disorders for whom rights and choice issues are complicated
(ATCMHMR, 1997)
Approximately one out of six Travis County residents report that they
are not employed or involved in other community activities due to feelings
of depression and/or anxiety (ATCMHMR,
1997).
Substance abuse. Substance abuse and
dependence effect the potential workforce in myriad ways and are frequently
accompanied by other co-occurring problems or situational barriers. Findings
from a study of 6,400 employees using an Employee Assistance Program indicated
that persons with alcohol problems were more likely to have attendance
problems and accidents on and off the job (34% of persons with alcohol
problems had these attendance issues compared to 19% of persons without).
(ATCMHMR, 1997)
Recent data indicates that adults who seek treatment for substance abuse
problems are either un- or under-employed. In 1997, only 24% of adult treatment
recipients of Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA, Sep 1998)
services in Travis County were employed.
Immigration status. The vibrant Austin/Travis
County economy has attracted many immigrant workers because of the promise
of work. Unfortunately, many immigrants in this area live in poverty. Due
to the economic difficulties they face, they contribute to the demand for
social service and health resources in Travis County. Listed below are
various barriers to these individuals obtaining self-sufficiency:
- The accessibility of community education resources (ESL, citizenship
classes, academic-related mentoring, and reading and tutoring programs)
has become severely limited due to recent demographic and workforce
trends.
- The Austin Public Library (APL) does not adequately serve the diverse
cultural population of Austin.
- Individuals, businesses, and other organizations need easier access
to information about immigration, welfare laws, regulations and
services.
- Low-income residents lack the financial resources to obtain legal assistance
in acquiring naturalization, asylum and suspension of deportation.
- It is time-intensive and costly to travel to San Antonio for naturalization.
(Austin Task Force on Immigration Issues, 1998).
Domestic violence. Domestic, or
partner, violence can have a negative impact on both the worker and the
employer.
Thirty-seven percent of women involved in partner violence have felt its
effects on the workplace—reflected in lateness, missed work, difficulty
keeping a job, and difficulty advancing their careers (End
Partner Violence).
American businesses pay an estimated $3 to $5 billion a year in medical
expenses associated with domestic violence. Businesses forfeit an additional
$100 million a year in lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism, and non-productivity
(Family Violence Prevention Fund, Oct
1996).
Summary
Rarely do any of these barriers appear in isolation. Successful efforts
to promote self-sufficiency through workforce development must recognize
the multiple barriers facing each individual. At minimum, our community
must move toward collaborative efforts to provide comprehensive services.
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