KOR Employment Services & Performance Measures
Employment Services
Each resettlement agency receives funding from KOR to provide employment services to new arrivals as well as long term clients seeking job upgrades. The funding sources for these employment services are the mandatory formula funding programs: Refugee Social Services and Targeted Assistance; Targeted Assistance is designated only for those refugees residing in Jefferson County, KY.
When a refugee enrolls in employment services s/he is expected to participate in an employment plan. Participation in an employment plan includes attending English Language Training Classes, meeting regularly with the job developers, accepting the first job offer and addressing any barriers to employment prior to job placement; lack of English is not considered a barrier to employment by Federal Government.
An acceptable job offer as defined by the Office of Refugee Resettlement as a job that pays at least minimum wage, the daily commuting time between home and job does not exceed two hours, the job may be part time or full time and must meet the acceptable standards as determined by OSHA and the EEOC. If a refugee refuses to cooperate with the job developer s/he may be terminated from services and cash assistance, but only after the agency follows the due process standards as established by the Kentucky Office for Refugees.
Other employment services provided by the resettlement agency include work orientation, job assessment, and transportation arrangements to enable the refugee to get to and from work, and follow up with both the refugee and employer after job placement.
Self –Sufficiency
The goal of the employment programs is to ensure that refugees are self-sufficient as soon as possible after arrival into the United States. Self-sufficiency is defined by ORR as a refugee household that earns enough income to no longer receive RCA or TANF cash assistance. Though ORR does not measure the duration of time between arrival and job placement as a performance outcome, this measurement is an important indicator to the success of refugee households’ achievement of self-sufficiency.
Kentucky-FY2007
|
Cash Assistance Program |
Average number of days between Arrival in US and Job placement in first job |
| RCA | 117 Days |
| TANF | 139 Days |
| Aggregate Average | 125 Days or Four Months |
Most refugee households are terminated from either RCA or TANF approximately one to two months after job placement.
Performance Measures
In FY 1996, ORR undertook a joint effort with States to improve State performance in refugee employment and self-sufficiency outcomes. States and California counties have been required since FY 1996 to establish annual outcome goals aimed at continuous improvement of performance along the following six outcome measures:
Explanation of Case Load:
These are clients that are actively participating in employment programs funded by ORR, during the Federal Fiscal Year. Refugee Social Services and Targeted Assistance are the primary funding sources for these employment programs.
RCA: This reflects clients receiving RCA and enrolled in employment services funded by KOR. RCA case management and employment services are managed within each resettlement agency.
TANF: This caseload statistic reflects clients receiving Kentucky TANF cash assistance (KTAP) but referred to the resettlement agencies for employment services funded by KOR. The TANF clients receiving their employment services through the resettlement agencies are held to same eligibility standards as others enrolled in KTAP.
Other: This reflects clients enrolled in employment services but not receiving cash assistance such as RCA or TANF. These are usually long term clients that are employed but seeking assistance with a job upgrade or whose spouse earns enough income to be deemed ineligible for cash assistance.
Definition of Performance Outcomes
- Entered Employment, defined as the entry of a refugee into unsubsidized employment, either full-time or part-time.
- Terminations Due to Earnings, defined as the termination of a cash assistance case (RCA, TANF, and general assistance) due to earned income.
- Reductions Due to Earnings, defined as a reduction in the amount of cash assistance that a case receives as a result of earned income.
- Average Wage at Placement, calculated as the sum of the hourly wages for the full-time placements divided by, the total number of individuals placed in employment.
- Job Retentions, defined as the number of persons working for wages (in any unsubsidized job) on the 90th day after placement. This is a measure of continued participation in the labor market, not retention of a specific job.
- Entered Employment with Health Benefits, defined as a job placement with health benefits offered within six months of employment, regardless of whether the refugee actually accepts the coverage offered. The following performance outcome measures are the aggregate performance measures of the resettlement agencies funded by KOR for employment services.
Click here for Kentucky Performance Outcomes for FY2004-FY2007