JOBS DON'T COME EASY WHEN GETTING OFF WELFARE (WELFARE-TO-WORK, THIRD OF FIVE PARTS)

"You can't get a good job in Cape if you're on welfare. They look at you like you're doing something wrong, when all you're trying to do is get off the system."So says Michelle, a grocery-store cashier in Cape Girardeau, who mirrored the preliminary findings of a community analysis completed by a Boston consulting firm, Mt. Auburn Associates. Peter Kwass presented the preliminary report to Cape Girardeau County's Welfare Reform Task Force recently.

The firm is expected to release a final draft of recommendations next month that will guide the task force in its efforts to formulate a community policy to help county residents who are affected by changes in the welfare system.

Michelle, who asked that her real name not be used, has two children and a high school education but no other occupational training. She said her work history is erratic, because she quits or loses jobs as a result of poor attendance. She doesn't own a car and has often had to stay home with her sick children."I can't afford to use cab coupons to ride back and forth to work," she said. "I've still got to catch rides to get to the grocery store, the doctor's office and places like that. The only reason I've got this job is I've got a friend who usually works the same shift."According to the Mt. Auburn Associates report, her experiences aren't unusual. The initial report found many public-assistance recipients had similar problems obtaining and retaining a job that allowed them to be self-sufficient.

A two-tiered labor market for entry-level workers exists in the county, and the tier most-often accessed by public-assistance recipients involved low-wage jobs with little potential and limited benefits, the report said.

The second tier includes jobs with possibilities for career advancement and the potential for increased wages and benefits. Placement in this tier requires a demonstrated work ethic and a high school diploma or GED and is usually reached by internal promotion or advertised externally by word of mouth.

The report said, "There appears to be little connection between the two markets, such that many very low-skill individuals tend to churn from firm to firm at minimum-wage jobs that do not have stability or advancement prospects and never are able to qualify for access to better jobs elsewhere."Employers who were contacted for the report said they had interviewed public-assistance recipients but had not hired many of those referred by the state employment programs. Many of the applicants lacked a work history, and quite often more than half of all applicants -- whether receiving public assistance or not -- never came back after being told all employees were drug tested, the report said.

Even so, many of the employers had hired welfare recipients within the past year, but their experiences were mixed. The recipients had negative attitudes toward work and had many on-the-job training difficulties, the report said. There were also appearance-hygiene issues and continuing "personal crises" that prohibited the recipients from remaining in their job, it said.

Kwass said the negative feelings of employers and welfare recipients could be overcome if more emphasis were placed on pre- and post-employment support. Obviously, employers have to make their organizations function smoothly and profitably, he said. However, if both sides would communicate their needs better, welfare recipients would be able to make easier and smoother transitions to their work environment, said Kwass."We tend to categorize people or make assumptions which may not fully understand what the issues are that are preventing them to function in the workplace," Kwass said. "If the recipients are prepared for the jobs, and if a good support system is on hand to help them when problems arise, then the job can be a positive experience for the employer and the employee."Sunday: Child-care and transportation problem are major deterrents to welfare recipients in their search for work.