IMPLEMENTING JOBS - THE FUNCTIONS OF FRONTLINE WORKERS

Frontline workers fulfill a critical role in the implementation of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program, a welfare employment program authorized under the Family Support Act of 1988. T his study of frontline workers finds that workers perceived their agen cies as emphasizing the opportunities available to clients under the J OBS program rather than clients' obligations to participate in the pro gram. In addition, these workers viewed the supply of most education, training, and employment services as adequate to serve JOBS participan ts. However, at the time of the study, states were required to serve o nly 7 percent of the nonexempt Aid to Families with Dependent Children caseload in the JOBS program, and some states were only beginning to enroll clients into services.