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Home & Family: Welfare Reform

ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT OF LOW-INCOME WOMEN

The economic situation throughout the Southern Region indicates a real need for entrepreneurial education that enables individuals to supplement family income. As identified in 1992 by the Southern Rural Development Center Program Advisory Committee, rural poverty is a priority issue that should be addressed through programming that results in providing real economic support to stressed families. By developing competent business abilities and marketable job skills, family incomes can be increased.

In an effort to enhance earning potential of low-income women, the Mississippi State University Extension Service has developed an educational program that focuses on entrepreneurial and technical skill development of low-income families in the apparel alteration and commercial/residential housekeeping trades.

Participants are required to attend a minimum of 40 hours of training. Training focuses on the development of job preparedness skills, home-based business and marketing skills, and development and refinement of technical skills in the apparel alteration and commercial/residential housekeeping trades. Training is taught by Extension home economists with input from subject-matter specialists and consultants.

The program was piloted in 1994 in two Mississippi counties as part of the Family & Consumer Education program. The County Extension Offices in cooperation with the County Department of Health and Human Services and Sacred Heart Southern Missions identified trainable welfare recipients in each county to participate in the pilot program. Upon completion of the project, some participants elected full time employment with existing businesses while other participants elected to become self-employed by starting their own home-based businesses.

This program is a tested model for entrepreneurial and technical skill development of low-income women that can be expanded to additional counties in the state. The model can also be adapted and used with many types of job preparation programs and home-based businesses development.

Through successful completion of this program, low-income families can generate income, thereby reducing their dependence on public assistance programs.

CONTACT:

Beth Duncan, Ph.D., Small Business Development Specialist bethd@ext.msstate.edu Box 9745 Mississippi State, MS 39762 (662) 325-2160