Job Training and School Programs for People on TANF

If you receive TANF, you may be able to take part in one of these programs. Talk to your caseworker to find out which ones are available where you live.

• Employment, Advancement, & Retention Network, or EARN, is offered in all Pennsylvania counties. It is for you if you have a work history and a high school diploma or GED, or you have trade skills, a certification, or a college degree. It helps you get and keep employment that allows you to support yourself and family, with help finding and keeping a job, resume workshops, mock job interviews, community service, help understanding personal finances, certificate and trade programs, and apprenticeship opportunities.
• Work Ready is offered in select counties; talk with your caseworker about availability. It is for you if you and your family need more time or help before starting training or work, you are preparing to enter or return to the job market, or you want to get your high school diploma or GED. It offers help with a criminal history, pregnancy, difficulties at home and more, referrals to other community help, GED preparation, lessons on personal finances, parenting and healthy food choices, and help getting ready for employment.
• Keystone Education Yields Success, or KEYS, is offered in select counties. It is for you if you already attend or are interested in attending a Pennsylvania community college and meet certain additional requirements; check with your caseworker to see if you qualify. It helps with the college system, including financial aid and career exploration, provides supports to help students succeed, counts class and some study time toward your hourly requirements, and links KEYS students in peer groups.
• ELECT, Education Leading to Employment and Career Training, is offered in select counties. The Department of Human Services describes it as being for people age 22 or younger who want a high school diploma or high school equivalency credential, while the Department of Education, which runs the program, says youth must be under the age of 22; ask your caseworker how the age rule applies to you. The Department of Education also requires that you be attending an educational entity or High School Equivalency program approved by it, and that you be an expectant mother or custodial young parent already receiving TANF, or an expectant mother or custodial or non-custodial parent not receiving TANF whose personal monthly earned income does not exceed 235 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline. For a male student, paternity must be verified through an Acknowledgment of Paternity or a county assistance office check of the Paternity Tracking System. ELECT includes diploma or HSE preparation, education on budgeting and finances, child development and parenting skills, health care and nutrition and healthy relationships, vocational, career and job readiness training, and intensive case management including home visits.

People taking part in approved TANF activities, including approved education and training activities, are eligible for special allowances, called SPALs. These are targeted, needs-based grants to cover the cost of items you need to take part in your program.

If you receive TANF you must meet the work requirement. That means working or taking part in approved activities such as job search, job skills training, education (which may include vocational school and community college that leads directly to employment, as well as pursuing your GED or improving your English learner levels if that helps you become more employable), and other job-related activities. Your caseworker will tell you how many hours you must work or participate based on your personal situation.

You may be excused from the work requirement if you prove you cannot work or look for work because of circumstances outside of your control. Reasons include, but are not limited to, disability, caring for a child under 12 months old (limited to 12 months in a parent's lifetime), caring for a disabled household member who must live with you, a personal or family emergency, homelessness, and domestic violence. Talk to your caseworker and keep them updated. All information you provide is kept confidential according to the law.

Reach out to your TANF team if you need to report a change, have problems and cannot attend your program, have benefit-related questions, or need supportive services. The phone number for your caseworker should be on the bottom of Page 3 of the agreement you signed, called the Agreement of Mutual Responsibility, or AMR. For general questions you can also call the Statewide Customer Service Center toll-free at 877-395-8930; no hours are published for that line.

Your local office in Berks County is the Berks County Assistance Office at the Reading State Office Building, 625 Cherry Street, Reading, PA 19602-1188, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 610-736-4211, toll-free 1-866-215-3912. Caseworkers are available at the county assistance office to help you and answer your questions in person or over the phone, if the office is closed to the public. Your program itself meets somewhere else: use the address listed on your AMR to get directions.

Before your first day, set up child care through your local Early Learning Resource Center and arrange transportation beforehand. Pack a lunch, because lunch will not be provided, and take your AMR and ID to your program. If you have trouble arranging child care or transportation, call your caseworker so they can help, and have a back-up plan for unexpected problems so you do not miss time at your program. To succeed, attend every scheduled day, arrive on time, work with your case manager on a plan that meets your needs and fulfills your requirements, take advantage of workshops and job fairs, and call your program if you have problems getting there.

The pages do not say whether any part of these programs costs money. They also note that the information online never replaces talking to your caseworker or employment and training case manager.

Source: pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/cash-assistance/employment-…, read September 18, 2026.

The details

In Berks County Assistance Office’s words

If you receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Familie s, known as TANF, employment and training programs can help you go back to school or guide you on your career pathway. Here, you can learn more about available programs, what to expect, how we can help you succeed, and more. Your county assistance office caseworker and your employment and training case manager will give you more information.

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