Employment and Training Administration - Workforce Professionals - What's New in Workforce Investment

HUD Announces New Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced the launch of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC).

Congress provided $150 million to HUD for a Sustainable Communities Initiative. Of that amount, $100 million is available for regional integrated planning initiatives through HUD`s Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program.

The press release notes, in part:

With OSHC`s grant programs, HUD will provide funding to a wide variety of multi-jurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships and consortia, from Metropolitan Planning Organizations and State governments, to non-profit and philanthropic organizations. These grants will be designed to encourage regions to build their capacity to integrate economic development, land use, transportation, and water infrastructure investments, and to integrate workforce development with transit-oriented development. Accordingly, OSHC`s grants will be coordinated closely with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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ETA and HHS/ACF Joint Letter Promotes Youth Subsidized Employment Opportunities under TANF Emergency Contingency Funds

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Department of Health and Human Services` Administration for Children and Families (ACF) have recently issued a joint letter regarding youth subsidized employment opportunities sunder the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency fund.

Training and Employment Notice 24-09 and the joint letter encourages the public workforce system to partner with TANF agencies in their efforts to promote subsidized employment opportunities allowable under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act`s (ARRA) TANF Contingency funding for the creation and expansion of subsidized summer employment for low-income youth. The two documents also encourage co-enrollment of youth in TANF and appropriate WIA programs so individuals can benefit from WIA services such as supportive services,occupational skills training, and other relevant services.

Questions about the TANF program can be directed to the ACF regional contacts (www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/oro/regions/regional_contacts.html).

Questions regarding WIA programs can be directed to the ETA regional offices (www.doleta.gov/regions/regoffices).

Commerce Secretary Locke Provides Details on the National Export Initiative

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has unveiled details of President Obama`s National Export Initiative (NEI) today. During last week`s State of the Union speech, the president announced a goal of doubling exports over the next five years to support 2 million jobs in America. Locke detailed how the Export Initiative will help the country reach that goal-providing more funding, more focus and more cabinet-level coordination to grow U.S. exports. The NEI represents the first time the United States will have a government-wide export-promotion strategy with focused attention from the president and his Cabinet.

Secretary`s Remarks

Video

Department Announces Results of the "Tools for America`s Job Seekers Challenge"; Public`s Favorite Online Tools Posted on the Internet

The Department of Labor today announced the results of its Tools for America`s Job Seekers Challenge. Recommendations have been tallied, and the top-rated sites in each of six categories - general job boards, niche tools, career tools, career exploration tools, Web 2.0 and "other" - are now available at www.careeronestop.org/jobseekertools.

News Release /The "Challenge" chronology / Web Sites

Employment of Disabled Veterans: ETA Announces New Video and Informational Brief

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has announced the availability of a new video and informational brief to promote the employment of disabled veterans through the One-Stop Career Center system.

The newly available video is entitled, "Coordinating Quality Employment Services to Disabled Veterans." This video highlights how the Disability Program Navigator (DPN), working with the Disabled Veterans` Outreach Program, facilitated the One-Stop Career Center to become a universally accessible, welcoming service delivery site, where all people, including people with disabilities, receive integrated, seamless, and accessible services that ultimately result in employment. The video tells the story of how a disabled veteran, with posttraumatic stress disorder and other disabilities, received services at the One-Stop Career Center that resulted in a job.

The accompanying information brief is entitled, "Promising Practices - Quality Employment Services to Disabled Veterans." This information brief highlights the DPNs` successful strategies by partnering with the DVOP and LVER staff to provide access to the full array of services available to disabled veterans through the public workforce system. The video and information brief are available on the Workforce3One`s new resource "Disability and Employment."

Training and Employment Notice 28-09 provides additional background on the video and brief.

Direct link to video

Direct link to information brief.

National Veterans` Training Institute DVOP/LVER Locator

Department Outlines FY 2011 Budget Request

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today, through a national online discussion with stakeholder groups, the general public and the news media, outlined the president`s fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget request for the U.S. Department of Labor, which is built around the vision of "good jobs for everyone." The budget launches innovative ways to prepare workers for 21st century jobs, and makes new investments in programs that protect workers` rights, safety and health in the new economy. It reaches out to diverse audiences to ensure that all people from all communities are included in the jobs of the future.

News Release

Congressional Budget Justification (Volumes I through III, including ETA Overview and Training and Employment Services)

Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2011

FY 2011 Department of Labor Overview

Budget Overview Web Page / Presentation Slides / Q & A

ETA and Wage and Hour Division Issue Guidance for States Seeking to Implement Subsidized Work-Based Training Programs for Unemployed Workers

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued Training and Employment Notice No. 12-09 - Joint Guidance for States Seeking to Implement Subsidized Work-Based Training Programs for Unemployed Workers

The purpose of this joint issuance from the Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration and the Deputy Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division is to provide guidance to states that may be considering implementation of subsidized work-based training initiatives for unemployed workers, which could include claimants who are receiving unemployment compensation (UC), exhaustees of UC, and/or other unemployed workers who may not be eligible for UC. This advisory is intended to help states understand applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies related to the Social Security Act and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (which govern the Unemployment Compensation program), the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, as amended, as they develop and implement these types of initiatives.

Inquiries should be directed to the appropriate Department of Labor Regional Office for the Employment and Training Administration and/or the Wage and Hour Division, depending on the nature of the inquiry.

The WHD website provides relevant information regarding the application of the FLSA to training programs. The WHD`s District Offices located nationwide are available to answer questions regarding specific training programs. For further assistance, please call WHD`s toll-free helpline at 1 (866) 4US-WAGE, (1-866-487-9243).

Presentation of 2011 Department Budget

Please join us here on Monday, February 1 at 12:30 p.m. EST for the release of the 2011 DOL Budget information, including detailed budget documentation, videos from the Secretary and other DOL leaders, and live chats.

Department Calls on States to Apply for Unemployment Insurance Modernization Funding

The Department of Labor today called on states to apply for more than $4 billion in unemployment insurance modernization funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) for those states that expand access to unemployment benefits. These funds can be used by states to pay unemployment insurance benefits and may be used for other defined purposes if appropriated by state legislatures.

News Release

Guidance to States

Map Reflecting Modernization Funding to Date

Department Announces Additional Funding for Senior Community Service Employment Programs

The Department of Labor has announced $225 million in additional funding for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in fiscal year 2010. This funding was provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 to allow SCSEP grantees to immediately address unmet needs for employment and job training among low-income, older American workers.

This additional funding is a much needed opportunity for high-performing grantees to serve unemployed, low-income seniors. Successful applicants were chosen based on demonstrated need among the older worker populations they serve; the capacity to immediately and effectively expend the additional funds; and past performance in serving older workers.

News Release / Listing of Awards by State and National Organization