California has been selected as one of 10 states to participate in the new “SNAP to Skills” project, designed to improve and expand local employment and training programs. 

States were selected based on existing levels of commitment and interest in expanding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training program and their ability to build effective partnerships with local training providers, according to a press release issued March 2, 2016 by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Employment and Training programs may include job search training, education activities (including basic skills training, English language learning, vocational training, postsecondary education), self-employment or on-the-job training, and job retention services.

Selected counties for SNAP to Skills include Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Sacramento. The California Department of Social Services is advocating for additional counties to be included. This is an especially timely opportunity given the expiration of California’s Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents Waiver at the end of 2017, which has exempted single, childless adults from federal work rules since 2008.

The SNAP to Skills project will last two years, ending in September 2017.