Georgia Works Not Working; Just Twelve Applicants in August

[Donnachaidh]

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/09/12/georgia-works-not-working-just-twelve-applicants-in-august/

YMMV, but for me the worst element of the mostly-fine American Jobs Act is the plan modeled on Georgia Works, the job training program for the long-term unemployed. Businesses get free labor (let’s face it, there’s not a whole lot of “training” that goes into the perfunctory data entry or office slug jobs that would likely be filled here), and the worker gets to show up without the hope of a job at the end. It may be a foot in the door with a particular company, or it may be a two-month distraction from a deeper job search, with nothing to show for it at the end. It’s just an unpaid internship in the end, and if companies are getting away with that, why wouldn’t they just cycle through another round of unpaid interns under the guise of “training” rather than make a hire?

The fact that the labor commissioner in Georgia running the program doesn’t think it can be scaled up is pretty damning, I’d say:

A jobs program in the Southern state of Georgia, cited in President Barack Obama’s plan to fight unemployment, needs big fixes and would not work as a federal initiative, says the official who runs it <...>

Georgia Work$ is being restructured to overcome significant flaws. Even within the state, it is seen as “not a marquee program,” said state Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, the Republican elected official who oversees it.

More at the link --

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[elleng]

2. Nice of author to write of 'slug jobs.'

Guess he's never needed one.
:thumbsdown:

[Dragonfli]

3. I've never needed one that didn't pay me for my work. I have been many type of slug for money tho /n

[hatrack]

6. Yes, I've had jobs that didn't pay since I was 13 . . .

:silly:

[DirkGently]

4. Mmmmmmm. Slavery. And it's not working, you say?

[bluerum]

5. Yes. Certain , errrmm, geographical areas of the country were particularly attached to slavery.

[DirkGently]

7. We here in enlightened, progressive Florida have no idea what you're talking about.

[bluerum]

13. Certainly not.

[Bozita]

8. The Peonification of 'Merica. Next comes a corp with openings in melon picking.

I can visualize a whole lot of melons being picked for free.

Whatta fucking opportunity.

Look out, Governor Perry! You ain't got shit on Georgia.

[Donnachaidh]

11. no sirree -- not when Georgia is using convicts to fight fires and ems services

They're pining for the good ole days when the Massuh was king...

[TBF]

12. Well sure, don't you want to learn how to pick melons?

Who would pass up that free opportunity?

:evilgrin:

[amborin]

9. kr

[LeftyMom]

10. They do that to aid recipients here.

Supposedly it's "job training" but most people get assigned mowing lawns at the park or some other thing the local government might otherwise have to pay for (they use people sentenced to "work project" as punishment for traffic infractions and petty crimes as the other source of free labor for shit jobs,) but some of the "training" is at for-profit businesses, I know Hancock Fabrics is one of them or was at one point.