Umemployment idea

Heard a story about unemployment awhile back on my local NPR (National Public Radio. Love them. And yes, I'm a bit of a geek at heart.*) station, and it got me to thinking about how we could possibly solve the problem. Being a knitter/crafty person, my mind turned to possibly teaching jobless persons how to knit, quilt, or something else just as crafty and in some cases, just as much of a dying art. We could then sell said finished items through a consignment system, and pay them for their time and materials, thus giving them an income until they could find other employment.
I know it doesn't sound like much, but this idea's been bobbing around the back of my head for awhile now, and I figured I'd at least throw it out there into the blogosphere, and see who bites.