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Submitted: Nov 19 2009 |
Recovery Act: Department Announces "Green Capacity Building Grants" and "State Labor Information Improvement Grants"
The Department of Labor has announced nearly $55 million in green jobs grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The grants will support job training and labor market information programs to help workers, many in underserved communities, find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations. Green Capacity Building Grants, totaling $5.8 million, will increase the training capacity of 62 current Labor Department grant recipients through a variety of strategies, and will offer training opportunities to help individuals acquire jobs in expanding green industries. These grants will help serve underserved communities. Targeted communities include American Indians, women, at-risk youth and farm workers. State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants, totaling $48.8 million, will support the collection and dissemination of labor market information, and will enhance the labor exchange infrastructure to provide career opportunities within clean energy industries. Grantees will be able to employ strategies that enable job seekers to connect with green job banks and help ensure that workers find employment after completing training. Thirty awards ranging from about $763,000 to $4 million were made to state workforce agencies to utilize data for workforce development strategies. Multiple state workforce agencies partnering as a consortium will use this program to gather information that is likely to have a regional, multi-state or national impact. The grants are part of a larger Recovery Act initiative - totaling $500 million - for green jobs training grants designed to promote economic growth. The Department of Labor expects to release funding for an additional three green grant award categories over the next several months. News Release / Listing of Grantees Synopses / Areas of Focus for Green Capacity Building Grantees and LMI Improvement Grantees |
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Submitted: Nov 18 2009 |
Department Extends Transition Period of Application Filing Procedures for H-2A Employers
The Department of Labor is further amending its regulations to extend the transition period of the application filing procedures currently in effect for all H-2A employers with a date of need before January 1, 2010, as established in the H-2A Interim Final Rule (IFR) published on April 16, 2009. The transition period is hereby extended to include all employers with a date of need before June 1, 2010. This IFR is effective on November 17, 2009. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the IFR on or before December 17, 2009. The November 17, 2009 FEDERAL REGISTER provides full background on the transition period. |
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Submitted: Nov 17 2009 |
Recovery Act: ETA Issues Notice to One-Stop Career Centers and Others Concerning COBRA Premium Reduction and Extended Eligibility Provisions
The Employment and Training Administration has issued Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 14-09. The purpose of the TEN is increase awareness of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and inform states and local areas about resources available to assist dislocated workers, businesses, and partners in understanding the new law. Most of the language in this notice is identical to TEN 42-08, and is repeated because two important groups of addressees have been added. For those who received the previous notice, all of the new material is highlighted in boldface type. Most of the additions are in Section 5 (Action Requested) and Section 7 (Attachments). |
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Submitted: Nov 16 2009 |
ETA and VETS Issue Guidance on Implementing Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses in all Qualified Job Training Programs Funded by the Department of Labor
The Employment and Training Administration has issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 10-09. This TEGL provides information to assist and support those agencies and other grantees that receive funds from the Department to operate qualified job training programs in the implementation of the Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses Final Rule. This joint guidance is being issued concurrently by ETA and the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS). Veterans' Program Letter 07-09 is the VETS guidance that corresponds to this TEGL. Aspects of Priority of Service addressed by this guidance include:
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Submitted: Nov 16 2009 |
ETA Updates Work Opportunity Tax Credit Webpage to Include New Brochure and Updated Forms
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit incentive that the Congress provides to private-sector businesses for hiring individuals from twelve target groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The main objective of this program is to enable the targeted employees to gradually move from economic dependency into self-sufficiency as they earn a steady income and become contributing taxpayers, while the participating employers are compensated by being able to reduce their federal income tax liability. WOTC joins other workforce programs that help incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to good jobs for American workers. The Employment and Training Administration has updated the Work Opportunity Tax Credit webpage to incorporate a number of new publication and updates to forms. The workforce community will now find:
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