ABSTRACT
Work centers represent a true partnership that benefits the business community, the recipient of public assistance, personnel in social services, and the taxpayer. The business community benefits by contracting with work centers to complete low-cost, high-quality jobs that include assembly, packaging, and shipping. The participant benefits by receiving job training, work experience, and possibly competitive mainstream employment while having access to a wide variety of rehabilitation services. Social services personnel benefit from work centers because they can improve the quality of life for participants by helping them to become self-sufficient. Finally, the taxpayer benefits because increased participant employment results in the reduced expenditure of public funds. Given these benefits, it is somewhat surprising that work centers have not received heightened national attention following the passage of welfare reform legislation as an ideal program to promote self-sufficiency through employment and reduced welfare dependency.
