Emily Stover DeRocco Speech
UK-US SEMINAR OF EXCHANGE
MAY 1, 2003
Our national workforce investment system is, indeed, a pathway to work. It is an economic development system with social benefits, not a social services system with some economic benefits.
President Bush has positioned this system as a cornerstone of the United States' economic recovery plan through last fall's Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act, the ongoing Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Program, and now his Jobs and Growth package being considered by Congress.
Our Workforce Investment System is a continually evolving system, created by the WIA of 1998, up for reauthorization this year.
It is a highly devolved system, with about $12 billion annually in public funds flowing through the ETA, a substantial part of which goes to governors and their state workforce investment boards and then to LWIB for services to be delivered through integrated community job resource centers called our One Stop Career System. These state and local workforce boards, so pivotal to the success of our system, are employer-led, and employer-driven.
We now have 1984 One Stop Career Centers around the nation, plus 1637 affiliate sites. Last year, we served 19.1 million people with employment and training services from these centers. Anywhere from 17-100 separate federal, state, and local-public and private-employment, training, education, and support programs can be accessed in the centers.
Often, the unemployment insurance system, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, are the front doors into the Employment and Training services provided by One Stops. But, One Stops serve a universal population. Strongly connected as well is America's only national residential education and training program for youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the 122 campus Job Corps which prepares youth ages 16-24 with high school diploma or GED and occupational skills. And, newly invigorated with an expanded vision, our nation's Apprenticeship training program is connecting to One Stops and moving into new and emerging occupations and industries, including health care, information technology, geospatial technology, and the like.
For this morning, you may get a better idea of the One-Stop concept, if we talk about it from the perspective of an individual visiting a One-Stop center. Here is Anthony Simmons' story as he visits his local One-Stop Center for the first time.
Anthony heard about the Center at a local meeting of a disability support group. The One-Stop Center has been conducting outreach to the disability community. Anthony is lucky because the One-Stop Center in his area is state-of-the-art.
Anthony's initial impression is positive. The One-Stop Center was easy to get to by public transportation. The Center is accessible and there is plenty of room for him to maneuver his wheelchair. The receptionist is warm and welcoming. She briefly describes the One-Stop Center and asks if he would like to see a counselor. He says yes, but asks about the large area with computers and customers sitting at individual work stations. She tells him about the resource center and asks if he would like to check it out while waiting to see the counselor. He says yes.
As he enters the self-service area, one of the two Technical Assistance Aids asks if she can help. She suggests he try the self-service station specifically designed for people with disabilities. The aid helps him adjust the height of the computer so he feels comfortable working at the station. She notices he has limited control of his hands so she demonstrates use of the trackball, an alternative input device. He tries it and it works for him. The aid stays with him until he feels comfortable with the system and has a general idea about what is available and how to access it. She reminds him that she and her co-worker will be there so if he runs into a snag, he can call for help. She stops by periodically to check on his progress.
On the computer, Anthony takes a virtual tour of the Center. He notices that Vocational Rehabilitation is part of the Center. Several workshops pique his interest and he definitely plans to join a Job Club. The Job Club includes in the agenda issues specific to disability, such as how to discuss accommodation needs with employers. He also notices that the phone bank stations for making calls to employers include a TTY and a sign indicating that Sign Language Interpreters are available upon request. He makes a mental note to tell Jennifer, a close friend who is deaf and is looking for work.
