State Institute 

The 2023 SNAP E&T State Institute will provide an opportunity for a select number of States to participate in a semi-national convening to help take their SNAP E&T vision to action. The goal of this year’s Institute will be for States to carefully review the status of their SNAP E&T program and to acknowledge both what’s working well and identify key program gaps and action steps that can be taken to achieve program goals. All participating States will be provided with data and program information, provided by FNS contractors, that will serve as a “gap analysis”. States will be able to use this information to build an action plan for their program. For more information about the State Institute and how to apply, click here.

Previous State Institute convenings were focused on the following:

  • Taking SNAP E&T to Scale (Spring 2019)
    This State Institute focused on topics useful to State SNAP Agencies who are entering or already in a growth phase of their SNAP E&T program (as described in the SNAP E&T Operations Handbook). Attendees heard from States and their peers about ways to streamline processes and policies in an expanded or quickly growing E&T program, how to ensure appropriate placements for SNAP E&T participants, and explore best practices in fiscal management.
     
  • Improving Outcomes with Work- and Skills-Based SNAP E&T Strategies (Fall 2019)
    This convening focused on how to strengthen a State’s SNAP E&T program outcomes by working with high-quality providers to identify and offer work- and skills-based workforce development strategies. Topics included how to assess the needs of SNAP participants, identify the right service strategies to meet your State’s goals, and how to recognize employer-driven, skills-based programs that are likely to best serve the diverse needs of SNAP participants.

Learning Academy

The SNAP E&T Learning Academy is an opportunity for a select number of individuals to gain technical expertise on SNAP E&T that prepares them to work within their State or across multiple States to build high-quality, employer-driven SNAP E&T programs. The purpose of the Academy is to increase national expertise and create new leadership capacity to build SNAP E&T programs that help individuals gain employer-valued skills and find good jobs.

Academy participants develop expertise in building employer-driven programs, leveraging 50 percent reimbursement funding, and identifying and partnering with third-party organizations to deliver SNAP E&T services. Participants also develop a holistic understanding of SNAP E&T, which includes understanding the roles, perspectives, and responsibilities of all SNAP E&T stakeholders. This understanding enables them to effectively collaborate with stakeholders and drive SNAP E&T program development forward in a well-informed manner.

Learn about the 2017 Learning Academy here.

Learn about the 2018 Learning Academy here.

Read the USDA blog post announcing the Learning Academy here.