Abstract
This paper discusses how, Asuport, a local government employment program for welfare recipients, helps participants to get jobs. The main findings of this study are as follows. 1) There are certain types of welfare recipients who are able to find work and get off welfare. This type of welfare recipient can get a job soon after participating in the program. 2) Another type of welfare recipient can find employment but can't leave welfare because of insufficient income. This type of welfare recipient can get a job after 12-18 months of program participation. Asuport conducted direct discussions with participants to offer support, to help participants regain connections with society, and to increase their desire to find work. In this way, Asuport's training approach was aimed not simply at imparting technical skills but also at helping to create and sustain an enthusiastic mentality toward gaining employment. This form of support placed importance on helping participants re-establish consistent and stable lifestyles. Even though statistical data cannot reflect results associated with these intangible efforts made at the beginning of the support period, the Asuport-type support system has resulted in a higher level of job placement.
