Job training programs in danger, Hastings says

KENNEWICK -- The Democrats' attempts at putting the federal government in control of more welfare programs could have serious implications for job training programs, Rep. Doc Hastings said Thursday during a visit to Goodwill Industries of the Columbia.

The 4th District Republican said he supports programs that help put people back to work as he toured the headquarters of Goodwill in Kennewick to learn about the nonprofit agency's successes and the challenges it faces, including funding cuts.

"Stimulus hasn't worked," Hastings said. "It has increased our national debt," referring to the provisions that gave states additional federal money for people on welfare, which he said undermines a key anti-dependence feature of the 1996 reform law.

The stimulus package allowed states to ignore the reform law's attempt to get more people on welfare-to-work programs, which could have serious implications for job-training programs such as the ones offered by Goodwill, he said.

Hastings said he supports providing help to small businesses, calling them the real engines of growth that create jobs. And although job training programs are an important component of supporting economic growth, they are run better under local and state guidance, he said.

Goodwill's local retail operations offer an opportunity to train those looking for work, he said. "I have a lot of admiration for their work."

Last year, Goodwill Industries of the Columbia served 1,143 people and helped 133 of them find jobs in the community, said Scott Shinsato, Goodwill's associate executive director. Goodwill largely serves single mothers ranging in age from 20 to 30, he said.

When Congress reconvenes after Sept. 30, it is expected to consider whether to allocate more funding to states under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Contingency program.

Shinsato said he believes Hastings will get the word out in Congress about the need for job training like Goodwill provides.

But, Shinsato said, all the talk of funding cuts, particularly at the state level, makes him nervous, even though Goodwill programs provide the skills or the work experience the unemployed need to join the labor pool.

Of Goodwill's annual budget of $10 million, it gets $600,000 from the state and $350,000 from the federal government every year, Shinsato said. About 74 percent of its income comes from the seven retail stores it operates, he said.

"We don't want those (state and federal) programs to be cut," he added. "We don't want a vulnerable population become more vulnerable."

Gov. Chris Gregoire recently ordered $51 million in spending cuts for the current fiscal year for WorkFirst, the state's welfare-to-work program, which provides services like cash grants, job placement, vocational training and emergency vouchers to low-income families.

-- Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com