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State Department of Workforce Development officials met Tuesday with officials from the private welfare contractor, Maximus Inc., which coordinates the refugee effort in Milwaukee County.
Unlike most of Wisconsin, where county government still administers welfare-to-work and human services programs, Milwaukee privatized its efforts several years ago, and the results haven't always been good.
In this case, Hmong refugees say they were sent to work at a meat packing plant with little experience, training or preparation. Most did not even know that it is cold in such plants, and that they needed to dress accordingly.
In addition, because they were recent arrivals, the refugees had difficulty with English and could not understand what their employers were trying to tell them. There apparently were no translators at the plant.
State and county officials need to come up with a better way to ensure that the newcomers know exactly what is expected of them when they go out on a job.
JoAnna Richard, executive assistant with the state Department of Workforce Development, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying that Milwaukee's training issues were "solvable" and that similar problems were not happening in other parts of the state.
Of the 2,779 Hmong refugees in this latest round of immigration, 639 settled in Milwaukee and the rest were scattered throughout the state.
Hmong people in the La Crosse area are generally working. Many have purchased homes and many have followed the American example of moving to the suburbs.
Richard called the Hmong resettlement experience in Wisconsin "one of the best success stories of the year."
But for everyone to succeed, the level of training and support services has to be better.
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