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

ETA Proposes New Data Collection Associated with Evaluation of the Technology-Based Learning Grants

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has proposed a new data collection associated with the Evaluation of the Technology-Based Learning (TBL) Grants.

The collection will support a two-year evaluation of grantees funded under ETA`s TBL Initiative to implement programs that increase worker access to training in a timely and effective manner, while simultaneously stimulating the development of new and innovative models and uses for TBL in the public workforce system. These grantees are located in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

The evaluation will document and assess learners` experiences and outcomes related to participating in such a program, and the implications for the public workforce system.

As a key part of the TBL evaluation, ETA`s contractor will collect administrative data from grantees and administer a customer survey. The customer survey will provide information on customer satisfaction and participant outcomes, and thus inform future TBL projects. Since grantees are presently reporting only limited data about TBL participants to ETA, reasons for participation, challenges to participation, other workforce services received, and, of particular importance, satisfaction with TBL training and services would not otherwise be available in the absence of the survey. Thus, in order to more thoroughly evaluate the TBL program, participation, outcomes and satisfaction data will be gathered from both the limited administrative data and the customer survey.

The survey will be conducted online and will provide basic demographic, programmatic, and outcome information on participants in TBL programs, and supply participants` contact information for survey administration.

Click here for the full announcement including the burden hour estimates and the desired focus for public comments. Comments are due by May 18, 2010.

ETA Announces Closeout of MilSpouse and Career Voyages Web Sites

The Employment and Training Administration has issued Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 32-09)

This TEN advises the workforce community of the closeout of two Department of Labor web sites -- www.careervoyages.gov and www.careeronestop.org/militaryspouse -- and the actions taken to minimize the disruption of services to users.

Department Releases Report on Youth Summer Jobs Initiative

The Department of Labor has released a report that found that the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative was largely successful in connecting young workers with employment experiences. Overall, 317,000 young people took part in the initiative.

The report was developed by Mathematica Policy Research and funded by the Department of Labor. Titled "Reinvesting in America`s Youth: Lessons from the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative," it analyzes monthly performance data submitted to the Employment and Training Administration by states and looks closely at the experiences of 20 select local areas.

Among the report`s findings:

Youths were placed in summer jobs, with almost 13 percent of enrollees placed in work experiences outside summer months. Sixty-three percent of participants were in school, largely ages 18 or younger.
Nationwide, local areas reported that nearly 75 percent of youths achieved a measurable increase in their work readiness skills while participating.
Available data show a completion rate for summer work of greater than 82 percent.
Employers interviewed for this study were overwhelmingly positive about the initiative. They reported that the experience of mentoring a new employee was worth the effort and almost unanimously agreed that they would participate again if given the opportunity.
Many youths were enthusiastic about being able to help their families in tough economic times. They also reported that, in the absence of their summer jobs, they would be competing with more experienced adult workers for jobs or doing nothing productive over their summer breaks.

News Release

Training and Employment Notice 33-09 provides additional information on the release and contents of the report.

FCC Delivers National Broadband Plan to Congress; Chapter 13 Addresses Entrepreneurship, Job Training, Workforce Development, and Local and Regional Economic Development

The Federal Communications Commission has delivered to Congress a National Broadband Plan setting an ambitious agenda for connecting all corners of the nation while transforming the economy and society with the communications network of the future -- robust, affordable Internet.

Titled "Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan" the Plan found that while broadband access and use have increased over the past decade, the nation must do much more to connect all individuals and the economy to broadband`s transformative benefits. Nearly 100 million Americans lack broadband at home today, and 14 million Americans do not have access to broadband even if they want it. Only 42 percent of people with disabilities use broadband at home, while as few as 5 percent of people living on Tribal lands have access. Meanwhile, the cost of digital exclusion for the student unable to access the Internet to complete a homework assignment, or for the unemployed worker who can`t search for a job online, continues to grow.

Other gaps threaten America`s global competitiveness. A looming shortage of wireless spectrum could impede U.S. innovation and leadership in popular wireless mobile broadband services. More useful applications, devices, and content are needed to create value for consumers. And the nation has failed to harness broadband`s power to transform delivery of government services, health care, education, public safety, energy conservation, economic development, and other national priorities.

The news release provides additional background and summarizes the goals and recommendations contained in the plan.

Chapter 13 of the plan - Economic Opportunity - specifically addresses:

Supporting Entrepreneurship and America`s Small Businesses
Job Training and Workforce Development
Promoting Telework
Local and Regional Economic Development

ETA Provides Guidance and Encourages Coordination between State Workforce Agencies, Local Workforce Investment Boards, and One-Stop Career Centers in Implementation of Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment Grants

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 31-09.

This TEN encourages coordination between the State Workforce Agency, State Unemployment Insurance (UI) Agency (if different), Local Workforce Investment Boards, and One-Stop Career Centers when implementing REA programs.

ETA is focused on connecting UI claimants with reemployment and training services delivered through the workforce system broadly, and specifically through the One-Stop Career Center system. The intent is to ensure that claimants have access to the full array of reemployment and training services available at One-Stop Centers, while also ensuring that claimants comply with all legal requirements governing the receipt of UI benefits.

The REA initiative addresses both goals, promoting the reemployment of UI beneficiaries and the reduction of erroneous payments. The program promotes getting claimants into One-Stop Career Centers for two key purposes: 1) to review their eligibility for unemployment compensation; and 2) to develop a reemployment plan that includes connecting them to One- Stop Career Center services provided by other Federal program, including WIA programs, Wagner-Peyser funded employment and reemployment services, and others. Eighteen states have operated a REA initiative since FY 2005, and 16 additional states received funds in FY 2009 to implement a REA. States have used different models for implementing REA initiatives and are not required to implement their REA initiative statewide. Some state use UI staff exclusively to carry out REA activities while other states fund and train One-Stop staff to carry out the key REA activities.

Approximately sixty million dollars has been appropriated for REAs in FY 2010. The REA guidance for FY 2010 contains new provisions designed to strengthen the connection to One-Stop services for UI claimants served through the program. States receiving REA grants are now required to ensure that connection as a condition of receiving grant funds. The purpose of this Notice is to ensure all key workforce system partners are familiar with the new guidance and to promote strong cross-program collaboration to ensure that REA investments result in strong employment outcomes for the UI claimants being served.

The full requirements for the FY 2010 REAs ae detailed in Unemployment Insurance Program Letter 05-10. The requirements were also discussed during a January 28, 2010 webinar.

TEN 31-09 specifically presents new roles for the State Workforce Agencies and One-Stop Career Centers, enumerates the five basic components that must be included in the state`s REA model, and describes the minimum services that must be received by the claimants.

State Administrators are encouraged to provide the advisory to appropriate staff.

Also see:

Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment Study (2008)

BLS Seeks Comments on Definition to be Used in Measuring Green Jobs

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is responsible for developing and implementing the collection of new data on green jobs.

The information will assist policymakers in planning policy initiatives and understanding their impact on the labor market, and will facilitate the monitoring of labor market developments related to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. BLS activities also will be useful to State labor market information offices in their efforts to meet the need for information for State policymakers, businesses, and job seekers.

In the March 16, 2010 FEDERAL REGISTER, BLS announced it is "currently soliciting comments on the definition BLS will use in measuring green jobs, the industry list, or any other aspect of the information provided in (the) Notice."

Written comments must be submitted to BLS by April 30, 2010.

Recovery Act: Department Announces Funding to Provide Technical Assistance and Outreach to Dislocated Workers Impacted by Foreign Trade

The Department of Labor has announced the availability of approximately $1.2 million in grant funds authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 from the dislocated workers assistance national reserve to provide technical assistance and outreach to dislocated workers impacted by foreign trade. Proposed projects must be developed and implemented through strategic partnerships.

The eligible applicants for this solicitation are National Employer Associations, National Labor Union Organizations, other Labor Union Affiliates, Non-profit Organizations and National Associations with connections to the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) program or TAA-certified workers.

The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is April 14, 2010.

The March 15, 2010 FEDERAL REGISTER includes the solicitation announcement.

The Department expects that grant funds will be used to provide outreach and direct technical assistance to trade-affected workers and their representatives on the new provisions of the TAA program. Grantees will work with union representatives, State and local officials, company officials, and union and non-union workers to help them to better understand the TAA program. This includes educating the public, and in particular, trade-affected dislocated worker populations in targeted industries who may not understand the TAA petition process and benefit eligibility requirements and/or what it means to be covered by a TAA certification. Further, grant funds may be used to help train those filing petitions to submit more complete and accurate petition information to the ETA. This is essential in helping the Department ensure timely and efficient TAA petition processing. Authorized petitioners include groups of workers, employers, unions and other duly authorized worker representatives, and WIA One-stop delivery system and State workforce agency staff. Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate a unique connection to a large number of workers or other authorized petitioners representing trade-affected populations in the targeted industries, and also have the ability to connect with dislocated workers in these targeted industries. Where possible, ETA encourages applicants to partner with other workforce development programs in addition to the State agency operating the TAA program and/or the WIA One-stop delivery system and fully describe how the project intends to incorporate these linkages in its service delivery strategy and overall project plan.

Grantees will be expected to describe outcomes and measures by which to determine the success of the project and will be required to report "best practices" or lessons learned as a result of grant activities. Outcomes may include such things as educational materials used to inform employers, union representatives or other worker representatives of the interaction between severance packages and eligibility for TAA benefits, or demonstrated strategies for identifying and serving service sector workers who work remotely and therefore may be more difficult to identify and serve than workers who physically report to a single location. Best practices and/or developed materials must be replicable and serve as a model for the TAA program and similar programs for dislocated workers such as WIA.

ETA Announces Funding Availability for New Round of Community-Based Job Training Grants

The Employment and Training Administration today has announced the availability of approximately $125 million in grant funds for Community-Based Job Training Grants (CBJTGs). Applications are due by April 29.

These Grants will be awarded through a competitive process to support workforce training for high-growth/high-demand industries through the national system of community, technical, and Tribal colleges.

In order to be eligible for consideration under this solicitation, the applicant must be either:

(1) An individual Community or Technical College, such as a public community college, a nonprofit community college, a Tribally controlled college, or a Tribally controlled university;

(2) a Community College District;

(3) a State Community College System;

(4) a One-Stop Career Center in partnership with its Local Workforce Investment Board, that specifies one or more community or technical colleges where education/training activities will occur; or

(5) an applicant proposing to serve an educationally underserved community without access to community or technical colleges that meet specific requirements.

It is anticipated that awards will range generally from $1 million to $3 million. The exception is that applicants that include three or more community, technical, or Tribal colleges will be considered "consortium applications," and may request an award ranging from $1 million to $5 million.

This solicitation appears in the March 15, 2010 FEDERAL REGISTER. The solicitation provides background information and describes the application submission requirements, outlines the process that eligible entities must use to apply for funds covered by this Solicitation, and details how grantees will be selected.

A pre-recorded Webinar will be on-line (www.workforce3one.org) and will be accessible for viewing on April 6, 2010, and will be available for viewing any time after that date. While a review of this Webinar is encouraged it is not mandatory that applicants view this recording.

Department Announces Funding Opportunity under Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program

The Department of Labor`s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has announced approximately $67 million in grant funds for the Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program.

Of the $67 million, approximately $53 million is available to fund a Comprehensive Service Program for adults. Approximately $14 million is available for a Supplemental Services Program for youth. The adult program will provide quality employment and training services that prepare Native Americans to gain employment in today`s competitive workforce. Program participants will include unemployed, underemployed and low-income individuals.

The youth program will offer summer and year-round employment and training activities for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian youth between the ages of 14 and 21. Program resources are targeted to at-risk individuals who face substantial barriers to educational and employment success. This population includes high school dropouts and youth who are in need of basic skills training.

Awards under the Comprehensive Service Program are anticipated to range from approximately $16,000 to $5.8 million each. Awards under the Supplemental Services Program are anticipated to range from approximately $1,073 to $3.1 million. Final award amounts in each category will be determined, in part, by census data.

News Release The March 12, 2010 FEDERAL REGISTER contains the solicitation for grant applications.

For assistance in applying for the solicitation, interested applicants should review ETA`s online suite of resources for grant applicants.

ETA Provide Guidance on Quarterly Submission of Workforce Investment Act Standardized Record Data (WIASRD)

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter 24-08.

This TEGL provides guidance to states on the upcoming quarterly WIASRD submission required by ETA in Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 24-08.

Four key areas are addressed in this document:

the change in the WIASRD reporting frequency from annual to quarterly
the change in the WIASRD submission to include participant files
the process for submitting the quarterly data beginning with the 3rd quarter of Program Year (PY) 2009
updates on the WIASRD edit checks to account for participant data