In a pilot project that includes urbanized Maryland and heavily rural Arkansas, 10 states will experiment with ways to improve employment and training programs for food-stamp recipients. The two-year project, funded by USDA, is intended to help people find employment and move up the wage ladder so they don’t need food stamps.
Employment and training is a small component of the $74-billion-a-year food stamp program, serving more than 600,000 people annually. It has received extra scrutiny as Congress seeks to reduce the long-term cost of food stamps. An estimated two-thirds of jobs created over the next decade are expected to require at least some education or training beyond high school.
“Fortunately, the economy is improving in most areas of the country, but it is still very challenging for people with limited education or more basic job skills to secure full time work and better paying jobs,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement. Arizona, Arkansas, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee were selected for the “SNAP to Skills” project; the title refers to the formal name of the food stamp program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.