Appendix B

SNAP EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING CONTRACTED PROGRAMS

Keystone Education Yields Success – KEYS (Project Code: SK)

KEYS is a collaborative program between the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. The program is designed to help TANF and SNAP individuals connect and pursue post-secondary education at one of the 14 community colleges.

KEYS was developed in response to growing research that shows that people who earn a career-specific credit or non-credit bearing certificate or an associate’s degree are better able to get jobs, earn family-sustaining wages with benefits, and have greater opportunities for advancement. Educational studies show that individuals who earn a career-specific credit or non-credit bearing certificate or associate’s degree earn more money after graduation than those who have not attended.

Credit or non-credit bearing certificate or associate’s degree programs must be career specific and support the student in gaining employment after graduation in that particular field of study.

SNAP KEYS students must be enrolled in a course of study which either meets Perkins IV criteria or which is associated with a High-Priority Occupation (HPO).  The CAO will verify that newly-referred students meet these criteria using the Community College Verification Form or any other verification which reasonably establishes that the criteria are met.  Students who do not meet this requirement but who first enrolled in KEYS prior to April 2018 will be considered “grandfathered” into the program and may continue participating in SNAP KEYS as long as they remain otherwise eligible.

KEYS student facilitators at these colleges will provide services and support necessary to assist students in completing educational activities. The services are designed to help them remain connected to the community college with the intent of graduating with a career-specific credit or non-credit bearing certificate or associate’s degree.

Special allowances for supportive services (SPALs) are available to students when needed and required to support student's participation in school.

SNAP 50/50 (Project Code: SZ)

SNAP 50/50 is a partnership between DHS and non-profit Third-Party providers. These Third-Party providers offer vocational education or paid work experience to participants.  Each provider offers different industry-recognized credentials or valuable paid work experience.  Unlike EARN and KEYS programs, the SNAP 50/50 program serves only SNAP E&T participants, not RESET participants. In addition to training, providers offer case management, supervised job search, and job retention services.

SNAP 50/50 is primarily a reverse referral program.  Individuals who to wish to volunteer are identified by the Third-Party provider and “reverse referred” to the CAO.

SPALs are available to participants when needed and required to support participation in the 50/50 program. However, in some cases a 50/50 provider may provide the needed item or service directly.  If an item or service is available to a participant directly from the provider, the participant is ineligible for a SPAL for that specific item or service.

NOTE: Participants enrolled in Work Experience activities can still receive SPALs to support this activity.

Employment Advancement and Retention Network - SNAP EARN (Project Code: SD/SN)

EARN is a collaborative program between DHS and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and local Workforce Development Boards.  The EARN program serves both TANF and SNAP populations in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania.  

The EARN program focuses on case management, job readiness preparation, supervised job search, and job retention services.  In addition, the EARN program is also responsible for KEYS-Expansion students and dual-enrolled WIOA participants.

The EARN program is primarily a direct referral program.  Individuals who wish to volunteer for SNAP Employment and Training and are currently not interested in the KEYS program or SNAP 50-50 can be referred directly to the EARN program.  SPALs are available to participants when needed and required to support participation in the EARN program.

CAO-Directed Project (Project Code: SA)

The CAO will only refer a SNAP E&T participant to a CAO-directed project if the participant is an ABAWD seeking to meet their work requirement through community service and does not wish to be referred to SNAP EARN.  The CAO would track participation in the SA Project by prospectively verifying hours through completion of the PA 1938 Community Service Verification Form, for up to six months in advance.  If the participant secures employment while participating in community service, the participant may also participate in the SNAP Job Retention (AC-93) activity for 90 days under the CAO-directed project.

ABAWDs seeking to meet the work requirement through any other activity must be referred to a contracted program.

SPALs are available to participants when needed and required to support participation.

Provider Map

The Bureau of Employment Programs maintains an interactive map displaying the location of all BEP-contracted E&T programs in the Commonwealth – including SNAP E&T programs, TANF RESET programs, and ELECT programs.

Updated October 25, 2022, replacing May 19, 2021