New Job Training Requirements for Wisconsin FoodShare Recipients/Applicants

Residents in Milwaukee may be required to attend a training program in order to receive and continue to receive Wisconsin Food Stamps (FoodShare).

So, here's the lo down.  If you are not disabled, not pregnant, and not a parent of a child under the age of 18, you will have to participate in a job training program - sounds fair enough, if all goes well...

Republican Governor Scott Walker approves of the plan, and the plan does make sense... in theory. The problem is the fact that this same type of program has been tried in other states, but it usually results in colossal failure.

What ends up happening is that people aren't properly trained for jobs that pay a living wage.  They get training in a traditionally low wage paying career like Nursing Assistant (CNA) or some other nonsense, then they find a $9 an hour job wiping people's a$$es... and then they are kicked off of any type of assistance.

Under this scenario, the participant is being underpaid and they still need assistance, but because $9 an hour is too much to get assistance, they are left to fend for themselves at a paltry wage.

Yes, it's true, people should be more responsible and they should take care of themselves.  BUT, assistance programs should also offer true assistance and make sure that participants are being trained for mid to high wage paying jobs.

It does no good to yank poor people in Wisconsin or anywhere else off of government assistance and throw them into a low wage lifestyle where they will likely turn back to the government for help.  It's a never ending viscious cycle.

In any event, Wisconsin FoodShare is about to make this change to the job trainig model. If you are going to be affected, you need to make sure to research the salary of any career field you might be interested in and then find out if the state will help you to pay for the training.  This could be a positive life changing proposition for the people who are smart about their career planning.