It is not the role of the Department of Social Services to provide jobs--that responsibility lies mainly with the private sector. However, the department and state government can make an important contribution to the work climate in Michigan by training recipients in the skills they need to find and hold jobs in their community. This helps reinstill the edge that has been lost in some cases, and will make self-sufficiency and independence a reality.

Our Michigan Opportunity Skills Training (MOST) program is a national model in job training. It is one of the cornerstones of the federal Family Support Act, and many of the mandates of that act are already in place in Michigan. Over 92,000 families left the welfare roles during the last six years because they had found full-time employment which was sufficient to support their families. MOST played a major role in helping these people find employment.

But we can--and must--do more! Our new EDGE program (Education Designed for Gainful Employment) is the largest initiative of its kind in the country--a partnership with education to provide vocational training along with an integrated, computer aided, basic-skills program. EDGE will serve AFDC recipients to upgrade their skills, increase their employability, and break the cycle of dependency.

Another area which will receive added attention is self-employment. Since 1988 Michigan has participated in an entrepreneurial development program in Detroit through Wayne State University. This federal demonstration project is part of a multi-state effort. The success of this small project has convinced us of its value, and we will expand it to other areas of the state which have chronically high unemployment.

Recipients and advocates alike tell me that our current system of calculating AFDC grants does not provide the economic incentives which encourage and lead to regular employment, the development of good work habits, and the reinforcement of the work ethic. All too often, recipients feel that working actually costs them money through lost benefits.

Since 1981, the amount of the AFDC grant has increased by 6 percent, but the effect of inflation during that time has actually resulted in a 29 percent decrease in its spending power! In an attempt to compensate for the loss of spending power, over 16 percent of the families on AFDC have at least one family member who is employed at least part time. It is imperative that we prepare even more people to gain employment.

The time has arrived to give people the opportunity to break the cycle of dependency and to give children and families in Michigan a better chance of becoming productive citizens. I maintain that one way to accomplish that goal is to make employment more attractive for both teens and families--to begin instilling the work ethic and encouraging people to begin forming good work habits.