Any prospective employee, regardless of background or work history, should be able to seek and receive the services he or she needs through the public workforce development system. This does not mean that the public system must be the provider of all services. Rather, the public system should be able to match the needs of jobseekers with available services and resources in any given community or region. The ability of a workforce development system to provide this robust level of universal service depends on identifying general supports needed by jobseekers and coordinating with service systems other than those directly concerned with employment to provide those supports.

Many poor people entering the workforce at the lowest levels face a host of financial barriers to employment, including transportation, childcare, appropriate work clothing, and supplies. The re-entering population shares the plight of these employment candidates, and may face additional legal and policy barriers noted in earlier policy statements. (See, e.g., Policy Statement 14, Identification and Benefits, and Policy Statement 21, Creation of Employment Opportunities.) Overcoming these barriers in any lasting way requires far more than starting a minimum-wage job. It requires ongoing employment at a steady wage and support which will enable an employee to meet these and other, unexpected costs.

Through their efforts to serve all customers, Workforce Investment Boards and their partners should work with returning inmates to overcome individual obstacles to receiving entitlements and services, especially during the critical period of the first few months after release. For example, if a potential employee is actively using cocaine, he or she should be referred to substance abuse treatment before attending job readiness classes. This holistic approach to service delivery necessitates close coordination with a broad array of service providers. High-performing One-Stops have established partnerships with other service providers, including those who work in areas such as substance abuse and mental health treatment, housing, family counseling, childcare, and transportation.

Policymakers and workforce development professionals also should advocate for the repeal of laws that unnecessarily impede willing and able jobseekers from entering the workforce. Though it is appropriate to bar individuals who pose a real security risk from certain jobs, in general public assistance should be carefully calibrated to reward work, rather than idleness. Individuals who need an extra boost to get on their feet, such as people leaving prison or otherwise entering the workforce without much job or income security, should be able to receive and maintain income supports or supportive services for a sufficient period to establish a viable, law-abiding lifestyle.