Jobs First Employment Services (JFES)

The Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) program provides employment services to time-limited recipients of Temporary Family Assistance (TFA), the state cash assistance program for needy families. TFA is provided to families who are determined eligible by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS).

The JFES program is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) in partnership with DSS and the five regional Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs). Each agency plays an important role in the administration of the JFES program which strives to make each participant a competitive worker in Connecticut’s labor market.

TFA applicants are referred to the JFES program by their DSS worker. Attendance at a JFES intake session and continued participation in JFES are required in order to receive TFA. At the first JFES appointment, participants receive an employment assessment, assistance in developing an employment plan and a dedicated JFES case manager is assigned to help them become employed and independent of assistance. JFES employment plan activities and services may include job search assistance, vocational education, subsidized employment, adult basic education and/or employment-related support services such as transportation and child care assistance.

JFES services may include one or more of the following:

• GED Preparation
• Subsidized Employment
• Transportation/Childcare Benefits
• Vocational Education / Occupational Skills Training
• English as a Second Language (ESL) (through contracted providers)
• Earned Income Tax Credits
• On-the-job training
• Support Services
• Job Search Skills Training
• Case Management
• Life Skills Training

For more information, call (203) 755-5117 in Waterbury, (203) 730-0451 in Danbury and (860) 496-3526 in Torrington.