Employment and Training Administration - Workforce Professionals - Topics of Interest

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Releases 'Making of a Successful Entrepreneur"; Study Provides Insights into What Influences Success or Failure of a Startup Business

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has released a new study -- "Making of a Successful Entrepreneur" -- which provides insight into company owners'' views about what influences the success or failure of a startup business. The study is being released in conjunction with the Kauffman Foundation's Nov. 16-22, 2009, Global Entrepreneurship Week, which annually introduces millions of young people around the world to entrepreneurship.

November 19 News Release with Study Highlights

Access to Study

Unleashing Ideas: Global Entrepreneurship Week Website

Also see:

Project GATE Website

The Department of Labor has initiated an innovative demonstration project, The Growing America Through Entrepreneurship, or Project GATE, in collaboration with the U. S. Small Business Administration to help emerging entrepreneurs in rural and urban communities achieve the American dream of owning their own business.

FCC Notice of Inquiry: Broadband and Entrepreneurship

Training and Employment Guidance Letter 16-04: Self-Employment Training for Workforce Investment Act Clients

Brownfields Remediation: EPA Announces Funding Opportunity under State and Tribal Response Programs

State and Tribal Response Programs oversee assessment and cleanup activities at the majority of brownfields sites across the country. The depth and breadth of state and tribal response programs vary. Some focus on Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) related activities, while others are multi-faceted, for example, addressing sites regulated by both CERCLA and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it will begin to accept requests, from December 1, 2009 through January 31, 2010, for grants to supplement State and Tribal Response Programs. A November 17, 2009 FEDERAL REGISTER notice provides guidance on eligibility for funding, use of funding, grant mechanisms and process for awarding funding, the allocation system for distribution of funding, and terms and reporting under these grants. EPA has consulted with state and tribal officials in developing this guidance.

The primary goal of this funding is to ensure that state and tribal response programs include, or are taking reasonable steps to include, certain elements and a public record. Another goal is to provide funding for other activities that increase the number of response actions conducted or overseen by a state or tribal response program. This funding is not intended to supplant current state or tribal funding for their response programs. Instead, it is to supplement their funding to increase their response capacity.

For fiscal year 2010, EPA will consider funding requests up to a maximum of $1.5 million per state or tribe. Subject to the availability of funds, EPA regional personnel will be available to provide technical assistance to states and tribes as they apply for and carry out these grants.

Department of Commerce Seeks Nominations for Membership on National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Department of Commerce announced is seeking applications for membership on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Council). The purpose of the Council is to advise the Secretary of Commerce on matters related to innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship specifically is accepting applications for the Council for the upcoming 2-year charter term beginning November 2009. Members shall serve until the Council charter expires in November 2011. Members will be selected, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidelines, based on their ability to advise the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to innovation and entrepreneurship.

Members of the Council shall be selected in a manner that ensures that the Council is balanced in terms of perspectives and expertise with regard to innovation and entrepreneurship. To that end, the Secretary seeks to appoint members who represent diversity in industry, experience, and geographic area. Additional factors which may be considered in the selection of Council members include candidates' proven experience in innovation and entrepreneurship, or in promoting entrepreneurship.

Priority may be given to successful entrepreneurs, innovators, angel investors, venture capitalists, and other experts drawn from non-governmental organizations, foundations and non-profits that have significant experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. Nominees will be evaluated consistent with the factors specified in this notice and their ability to carry out the goals of the Council. Self-nominations will be accepted. Appointments will be made without regard to political affiliation.

The Council will identify and recommend solutions to issues critical to enabling entrepreneurs and firms to successfully commercialize new ideas and technologies into high-growth, innovation-based businesses and to create new jobs. The Council will also serve as a vehicle for ongoing dialogue with the entrepreneurship community. The duties of the Council are solely advisory; it shall report to the Secretary of Commerce, through the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning in the Office of the Secretary.

Members will serve at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce. Because members will be appointed as experts, members will be considered special government employees. Members participating in Council meetings and events will be responsible for their travel, living, and other personal expenses. Meetings will be held regularly and not less than twice annually, usually in Washington, DC. Members are required to attend a majority of the Council's meetings. The first Council meeting for the new charter term has not yet been established.

In addition to the factors stated above, eligibility for membership is limited to U.S. citizens who are not full-time employees of a government entity, are not registered with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and are not a federally-registered lobbyist.

For consideration, a nominee should send (1) resume, (2) personal statement of interest, (3) an affirmative statement that the applicant is not required to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, and (4) an affirmative statement that the applicant is not a federally-registered lobbyist. Applications should be sent to the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Room 4077, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230. Applications may also be submitted electronically to entrepreneurship@doc.gov.

All applications must be received by the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship by close of business on November 30, 2009.

Appointments of members of the Council will be made by the Secretary of Commerce.

Broadband Updates: November 16 RFI Mentions Workforce Training, Entrepreneurship, and Targeted Populations; Project Awards in 10 States for "Community Connect" Grants; RUS and NTIA Announce Combination of Future Funding Rounds

On November 16, the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced they are seeking public commentary on how best to administer the second round of funding for the programs in order to "improve the applicant experience and maximize the ability of the programs to meet Recovery Act objectives." The NTIA and RUS released a request for information (RFI), which invites suggestions about the priorities of the remaining funds, among other concerns. Note that the RFI addresses these topics: regional economic development strategic plans, targeted populations (including tribal areas), workforce training, entrepreneurship, and libraries.

Comments are due by November 30. Click here for access to the RFI.

On November 13, the Department of Agriculture announced the selection of 22 projects in 10 states to receive $13.4 million in broadband community connect grant funds.

On November 10, 2009, RUS and NTIA announced they are streamlining the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's broadband grant and loan programs by awarding the remaining funding in just one more round, instead of two rounds, to increase efficiency and better accommodate applicants.

RUS's Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) are intended to expand broadband access and adoption in America, advancing the goals of the Recovery Act by creating jobs and stimulating long-term economic growth and opportunity. The first round of these grant and loan programs produced about 2,200 applications requesting nearly $28 billion in funding - almost seven times the amount of funding available in that round - for proposed broadband projects reaching all 50 U.S. states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia. The agencies are currently reviewing these applications and expect to award up to $4 billion in loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations in this round. The agencies expect to begin announcing funding awards in December 2009.

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Unemployment Compensation: Certifications for 2009 Under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act

The Secretary of Labor signed the annual certifications under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, 26 U.S.C. 3301 et seq., thereby enabling employers who make contributions to State unemployment funds to obtain certain credits against their liability for the Federal unemployment tax. By letter, the certifications were transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury.

The November 4, 2009 FEDERAL REGISTER contains a copy of the letters and certifications.

Census Bureau Issues Call for Proposals for 2010 Local Employment Dynamics Annual Workshop

The 2010 Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership Annual Workshop will be held in the Washington, D.C. area on March 10-12, 2010. A Call for Proposals has been issued to seek presentations and posters about practical applications using LED data in the workshop.

The LED Partnership seeks presentations that reflect:

Case studies, innovations, best practices using LED data, including OnTheMap, QWI Online, Industry Focus or VRDC data download
Integration of LED data with other sources
LED-based programs and initiatives that demonstrate measurable impact and results
Outstanding success stories

The submission deadline for presentations and posters is December 2, 2009.

Selected presenters will be featured in targeted break out sessions during prime time of the 2010 workshop. The Census Bureau will provide paid travel and two nights lodging for the selected presenters to attend the workshop.

Questions and comments should be sent to CES.Local.Employment.Dynamics@census.gov

Department of Treasury Awards $5 Billion to Encourage Private Sector Investments in Local Communities; Secretary Geithner Visits Chicago Job Training Center to Discuss the New Markets Tax Credit Program

As part of the Obama Administration's efforts to revive local economies, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner today (October 30) visited a job training center in Chicago benefiting from private sector investments made through the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program. As part of his visit, Geithner announced $5 billion in NMTC awards, including $1.5 billion made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), for more than 90 organizations in communities around the country.

"We must rebuild our economy on a firmer foundation, one that equips our workers with the skills and education they need to compete," said Secretary Geithner. "We must make sure that the advantages of this new, stronger economy are broadly shared. Too often, communities are left behind by economic growth. The Recovery Act and the New Markets Tax Credit program help break this vicious cycle to ensure the benefits of growth reaches all corners of the country."

In May 2009, Secretary Geithner announced an initial $1.5 billion for NMTC awards under the Recovery Act, making today's announcement the second round of Recovery Act funding for the program. The NMTC program, established by Congress in December 2000, permits individual and corporate taxpayers to receive a credit against federal income taxes for making equity investments in investment vehicles known as Community Development Entities (CDEs). The investor receives a credit totaling 39 percent of the cost of the investment. CDEs must apply to the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, which administers the NMTC program, to compete for this allocation authority. The organizations receiving awards have identified principal service areas that will cover nearly every state in the country, as well the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and plan to invest in renewable energy projects, charter schools, health care facilities, manufacturing companies, and retail centers.

Secretary Geithner's announcement was made today at the Greater West Town Community Development Project (GWTP) which provides job training and placement services to local residents, and educational and career development services targeted to former Chicago public high school drop-outs. Through financing provided by the Chicago Development Fund, a New Markets Tax Credit award recipient in Chicago, the GWTP will convert a vacant industrial building into a new job training and education facility. The GWTP projects the development will create 30 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs for employees. Secretary Geithner was joined at the site by Donna J. Gambrell, Director of Treasury's CDFI Fund; Mayor Richard Daley; Congressman Danny Davis (IL-7); and Bill Leavy, Director of the GWTP.

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OMB Seeks Public Comment on Strengthening and Improving Implementation of Paperwork Reduction Act

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is inviting comments from the public on how to strengthen and improve implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). (Click here for announcement.)

Specifically, OMB seeks comments on

reducing current paperwork burdens, especially on small entities;
increasing the practical utility of information collected by the Federal Government;
ensuring accurate burden estimates;
and, preventing unintended adverse consequences.

To ensure consideration, responses must be written and received by December 28, 2009.

OMB plans to use the comments it receives in response to inform its preparation of the 2010 Information Collection Budget (ICB), which is a report that will be provided to Congress on the Federal Government''s effectiveness in implementing the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. OMB will also use these comments to inform its practices for evaluating information collections submitted to OMB by agencies.

Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:

Web site: www.regulations.gov
E-mail: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov
Fax: (202) 395-7245

OMB notes:

"Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available to the public through relevant Web sites. For this reason, please do not include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or proprietary information. If you send an e-mail comment, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. Please note that responses to this public comment request containing any routine notice about the confidentiality of the communication will be treated as public comments that may be made available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine notice."

Trade Adjustment Assistance: Department Certifies Approximately 4,500 Workers in 17 States as Eligible to Apply

The Department of Labor has announced that approximately 4,500 workers from companies in 17 states - Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin - are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

Workers covered by these latest TAA certifications will be contacted by their respective states with instructions on how to apply for individual benefits and services. Those who apply may receive case management and re-employment services, training in new occupational skills and trade readjustment allowances that provide income support for workers enrolled in training. Some workers may also receive job search and relocation allowances, and the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC).

News Release / TAA Certifications by City and State

Trade Adjustment Assistance Webpage

OVAE Updates: Adult Education Reporting System, Data Quality Campaign and Interactive Funding 'Roadmap," and Launch of Great Cities Summit

The Department of Education''s Office of Vocational and Adult Education publishes "Thursday Notes" for the benefit of the Adult Education and Literacy community.

Some recent highlights:

New NRS Software Now Available Online
OVAE has just implemented new online software for the National Reporting System (NRS) designed to make states' reporting of adult education data easier. State directors now can go to one place online to prepare statistical, financial, narrative and data quality reports for OVAE. They can also complete OVAE's data quality checklist more easily because they now can save and print their responses at any point if they need to work on text explanations or create a data improvement plan.

Federal Funding to Boost Data Quality Available Now
The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) has posted an interactive "roadmap" that identifies federal funding sources states can use for data-related activities. This roadmap contains links to relevant legislation, including the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and related guidance; it also reflects and new funding under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act .You can browse the site for resources available in your state and view action steps states can take to improve data quality. The DQC is a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers in improving the availability and use of high-quality education data to improve student achievement. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was DQC's founding funder, and additional support has been provided by the Casey Family Programs, the Lumina Foundation for Education and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

OVAE, NIFL Invest in Great Cities Summit
OVAE and National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) recently announced a joint two-year federal investment of $814,308 to conduct a 24-month Great Cities Summit initiative. Key education stakeholders from five large cities selected to participate in the summit will discuss best practices for providing adult education in large urban areas during several summit meetings. Participants will assess their cities' needs, create action plans to address them, learn about available federal resources to support implementation of these plans, form supportive partnerships and establish a network for collaborative peer learning. A major goal of the initiative is to help participants help teachers expand their knowledge of adult reading acquisition and strengthen their teaching skills. Applications for the Great Cities Summit will be available soon, with more information to follow from OVAE.