White House Jobs Plan Might Let Businesses Train Unemployed Without Having To Pay Them

As part of a forthcoming jobs package, the Obama administration is considering a program that would let businesses train jobless workers for a short period without having to pay or hire them.

The plan would be modeled on state programs, in particular one called Georgia Works, which allows Georgia businesses to give unemployed workers 24 hours of training per week for two months. Trainees receive a $240 stipend on top of unemployment benefits. The program is voluntary for businesses and workers laid off through no fault of their own and eligible for benefits. Its proponents say it encourages businesses to hire because it limits the risk of spending money to train a worker who might flop.

This would also help these companies who claim they can't find folks with the right skills. There has to be a guarantee reward, not free labor. Free intern work is wrong!

Jobless_in_Ma wrote:Wish they did this 2 yrs ago.

WilliamsonAngel wrote:It makes sense to "try before you buy" thing, but people being used as slave labor is a real concern.

From the original quote, it says something about the folks getting 240 dollars for participating. Is that per month or for the entire period of time?

I'd be happy to try something like this--if they'd cover the costs of my fuel/lunch, and a bit towards my auto insurance (upfront).

DesperateInRI wrote:

As part of a forthcoming jobs package, the Obama administration is considering a program that would let businesses train jobless workers for a short period without having to pay or hire them.

The plan would be modeled on state programs, in particular one called Georgia Works, which allows Georgia businesses to give unemployed workers 24 hours of training per week for two months. Trainees receive a $240 stipend on top of unemployment benefits. The program is voluntary for businesses and workers laid off through no fault of their own and eligible for benefits. Its proponents say it encourages businesses to hire because it limits the risk of spending money to train a worker who might flop.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/24/white-house-jobs-plan-unemployed_n_935228.html

exhaustedandtired/1208 wrote:I can see it now: Millions go in for training and Obama's unemployment numbers drop to 5 % and no body gets paid! He is really smart, I'll give him that! puke!

exhaustedandtired/1208 wrote:

WilliamsonAngel wrote:It makes sense to "try before you buy" thing, but people being used as slave labor is a real concern.

From the original quote, it says something about the folks getting 240 dollars for participating. Is that per month or for the entire period of time?

I'd be happy to try something like this--if they'd cover the costs of my fuel/lunch, and a bit towards my auto insurance (upfront).

look at my previous comment! Lets see, I couldn't believe any of you would fall for this... The employer brings people in to train a few at a time and get paid by the gov. and at the end of the training period they send us to the street and bring more in and Obama looks like a brain child. He would be!!! He is a joke and everything he does is self serving and decietful..

exhaustedandtired/1208 wrote:You can bet Obama has his interest at heart!!! ploy to decieve and falsly lower unemployment!

WilliamsonAngel wrote:

exhaustedandtired/1208 wrote:

WilliamsonAngel wrote:It makes sense to "try before you buy" thing, but people being used as slave labor is a real concern.

From the original quote, it says something about the folks getting 240 dollars for participating. Is that per month or for the entire period of time?

I'd be happy to try something like this--if they'd cover the costs of my fuel/lunch, and a bit towards my auto insurance (upfront).

look at my previous comment! Lets see, I couldn't believe any of you would fall for this... The employer brings people in to train a few at a time and get paid by the gov. and at the end of the training period they send us to the street and bring more in and Obama looks like a brain child. He would be!!! He is a joke and everything he does is self serving and decietful..

I try to look at things from both the standpoint of a jobseeker and someone who might plan on running a small business one day.

Every time a business brings a new person on, they have to take time off of doing profitable things to train this person, plus pay the person, and may or may not actually be the right person for the job, or capable of becoming the right person for the job. The smaller the business, the more this hurts.

If you're hiring for a job that is supposed to pay 16 dollars an hour, only having to pay some present government cost instead of 640 is a reduced risk, an incentive for businesses to take that risk.

Currently the equivalent is use of a temp agency to screen someone, but even then the person just might not fit in or work out... at a premium of 15-20%, so instead of 16 dollars an hour, the potential employer pays 18 or 19.

It's been said the job market is anemic, that businesses aren't willing to take the risk of hiring people on.

This reduces the risk for some businesses and may make the marketplace less anemic. The places that have revolving door hiring practices (unskilled labor jobs that pay minimum wages) are the places that won't benefit from this, especially if the government amount winds up being 40 hours worth of minimum wage. Places that will benefit are places that have jobs that require skill and training.

It would also give more people a chance to get their foot in the door.
For some people, all it takes is getting in the door, getting someone to give them a chance, to get hired on for the long term.

And that is why it's not a terrible idea, especially if it's voluntary. It must be executed correctly.

sbraney wrote:I stopped defending Obama when he brought back all the Clinton retreads that screwed us with the trade agreements, deregulated the financial industry and helped monopolize telecommunications - he didn't do anything to raise the efficiency of our cars either - he also put a giant hole in the gov't services sector. The 90s appeared to be good economic times, because there was a giant tech bubble fueling it - just as the mortgage crisis pumped wall street full of air covering the disastrous Bush policies. (Disastrous for working Americans that is.)

Last December took the lid off the can - he "negotiates" a "deal" with the cons to further extend Bush's taxcuts - which everyone knows is welfare for the rich - Obama's class - then, he reduces funding for an already cash strapped social security program which he sure as hell isn't depending upon!! All for a few billion in UI benefits which in any other downturn would have been automatically extended with so many out of work. This guy is as self-serving as the rest, and until we recognize that the working class now hasn't anybody to represent them, we won't quit fighting, get organized and do something about it. The adults have left town folks - we're on our own and we're going to pay dearly for their crimes. There are a handful that try to do what is right, but they don't have any power - or they just vote on behalf of their constituents when they know there isn't a prayer's chance in hell of the bill passing.

Yesterday, Obama announced that he was going to try and do something for the African American community - think his campaign advisers have informed him that he has completely lost his base?? You could see it last November - nobody showed up. The DINOS just figure that we don't have anywhere else to go, but if democrats don't bother to vote they can't win either. He, like Clinton, promised all kinds of things, but once in office didn't deliver at all, in fact, they both did more harm to working Americans by their total betrayal. Mrs. Obama has been just as disappointing - the organic White House garden and nutrition program didn't go over well with the entire factory food industry so she chose instead to remain corporate friendly and backed down. The Obamas can afford good, nutritious food so they aren't blown up from the cheap garbage that overweight people consume. It's tragic - I'm praying that someone with some real credibility will run against him.