Linking the workforce help line with America's Service Locator

U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Washington, D.C. 20210
CLASSIFICATION: AWN/ASL
CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL: OAS
DATE: January 18, 2001

TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 8-00

TO: ALL STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
ALL STATE WORKER ADJUSTMENT LIAISONS
ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
ALL ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER SYSTEM LEADS

FROM: LENITA JACOBS-SIMMONS
Deputy Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT: Implementation of Partnership Between America’s Workforce Network (AWN) Toll-Free Help Line and America’s Service Locator (ASL)

RESCISSIONS:
EXPIRATION DATE: Continuing

1. Purpose: To provide directions to the States about necessary actions to implement the
partnership between the AWN Toll-Free Help Line (1-877-US-2JOBS) and the Internet-based
ASL (www.servicelocator.org) and to issue instructions for ASL database entry.
2. Reference: Training and Employment Information Notice No.10-00
3. Background: In TEIN No.10-00, the Department provided information about the AWN Toll-
Free Help Line, and ASL, and our plans to achieve a full partnership, through a phased
implementation, between these two access points to the services available through America’s
Workforce Network. We noted that our two collaborative goals were to populate the ASL data
base, and to enhance the information currently available through the AWN Toll-Free Help Line.
The latter goal will be accomplished by providing Customer Service Representatives with direct
access to “robust” ASL service locator information on the Internet.
4. Implementation: This TEGL represents the critical action phase of the time line. Attached
please find the information materials that will permit State Administrators to actualize the
collaboration between the AWN Toll-Free Help Line and ASL. These include: a) a
computerized video demonstration of the call guide used by the Customer Service
Representatives that shows how they will use the ASL in serving the caller; b) Instructions for
Data Entry and Passing Authorities from National Office to State Level; c) Frequently Asked
Questions relating to the AWN Toll-Free Help Line and ASL; and d) List of Regional Toll-Free
Contacts and America’s Career Kit (ACK) Liaisons.
As noted in TEIN No.10-00, the implementation of this partnership will vary according to the
level of AWN Toll-Free Help Line participation selected by each State. Standard Partner States
have received funds to develop and maintain the Toll-Free database which can now be used to
support the ASL data entry effort. Standard Partners may elect to have our AWN Toll-Free Help
Line contractor continue to maintain all their data, including ASL information. Affiliate States
have a choice of options ranging from entering into Toll-Free Standard Partnerships to
developing “stand-alone” relationships with the Service Locator team for data entry and
maintenance. Should Affiliate States not have any type of service locator of their own, they will
be able to provide their information in any format and the America’s Service Locator team will
do their initial data entry.
Whatever the relationship of the State to ASL, the advantages of participation are manifest. State
residents who have Internet access can readily learn where the workforce development services
they seek are available, and how to get to them. State residents who do not have Internet access
can obtain the same information through the AWN Toll-Free Help Line. States and localities
have direct control over the maintenance of their data through the ability to make real time
changes using authorized passwords. ASL, a simple and easy-to-use system, will not impose an
undue burden on State and local entities. Rather, the ready accessibility of ASL and the Toll-
Free Help Line as partnered “front doors” to America’s Workforce Network should actually free
State and local personnel from responding to routine information requests, and enable them to
spend more time providing direct services to customers.
5. Action Required. State Administrators should take the following actions: a) provide the
name(s) of the key State person(s) who will be responsible for oversight of ASL data entry to
Jennifer Warren ([email protected]) of the Office of Technology and Information Services at
(202) 693-3688; or Lois Engel ([email protected]) of the Office of Adult Services at (202) 693-
3356 with a copy to the appropriate Regional Office; b) distribute this TEGL and its attachments
to designated key State person(s); and c) direct key State person(s) to begin the process of
working with all localities on entering ASL data.
6. Inquiries. Questions concerning this TEGL should be directed to the appropriate Regional
Office.
7. Attachments.
1 - Computerized Video Demonstration;
2 - Instructions for Data Entry and Passing Authorities from National Office to State Level;
3 - Frequently Asked Questions;
4 - List of Regional Toll-Free Contacts and America’s Career Kit Liaisons

Attachment 1 is identified in the letter as a computerized video demonstration. The current ETA advisory lists no file for it.

Attachment 2: Instructions for Data Entry and Passing Authorities

Attachment 2
Instructions for Data Entry
and Passing Authorities from
National Office to State Level
America’s Service Locator is a website that helps the public locate local service providers
that inform about available services and driving directions and maps. One can find everything
from the nearest One-Stop Center to information about your local Job Corps Center. In
partnership with the National Toll-Free helpline (1-877-US2-JOBS), we are committed to
providing consistent local office information to callers and website users.
You have been designated as the data entry administrator for all of your State’s or local
service providers. We have created a basic set of instructions that enables you, and allows you to
authorize local service providers to update and maintain their individual information within
America’s Service Locator. For the immediate future you will only be managing and updating
sites that have already been entered into the ASL system. Specifically, you will be updating the
most basic contact information, or level one data, for the local service providers currently
displayed in the Locator. The ASL has four levels of data: level one is basic contact information,
level two is site resources, level three and four both relate to actual services provided to
employers, workers, and youth. Levels two, three, and four are part of the next phase of
implementation.
Note that these instructions also tell how to create a new site. However, the system will
not be able to integrate and add new sites until sometime in February during the next phase of
our data validation and updating. We will inform you of the exact date as soon as possible along
with the details of the next phase of the implementation plan. We would like to complete this
first phase of our data vetting no later than February 16, 2001.
To begin:

1. Log on to America’s Service Locator (ASL) at www.servicelocator.org.
2. Click onto “click here” under “Locator Providers” that is found on left side of the page.
3. Enter username and password. (All user names and passwords will be in lower case and
no spaces)
• The username is the name of your state , e.g., New York’s username is newyork.
If at any time you need assistance during this process, please call America’s
Service Center at 1-877-348-0502 (TTY number: 1-877-348-0501) for more
detailed help.
• The password is the state abbreviation, e.g., New York’s password is ny.
For security purposes, you must change your password the first time you log in to the
Service Locator.:
Procedures for changing your password and account information.
A. From the Service Provider menu, click on Update Your Basic Information at the
bottom of the page.
B. From the Administrative Information (required) page, click in the Provider Password
Box.
C. Completely erase the old password and then enter a new password which should be at
least 6 but no longer than 20 characters and should be easily associated with the Service
Locator.
D. Enter your new password again as directed to confirm the change.
4. To Update Administrative Account Information
Continue completing the administrative account information. The provider name is
preset as your state name. Please change the Provider Name field if you want to make
any changes and fill out the rest of the fields describing your basic account information (2
screens). Click on Enter Your Services Now button to submit your changes, and return to
Service Provider Menu.
5. To Update Local Service Provider Information
When you verify the Local Service Provider information, you may find that addresses and phone
numbers for some of your local offices have changed. Please follow the instructions below to fix
such records.
A. From Service Provider Menu, go to the right hand side of your screen and under the
heading “Manage an Existing Entry,” select Update or Delete Provider Information or
Upload Image.
B. You will see a drop-down list for the different types of service providers in your state,
e.g., One-Stops, Job Corps, etc. Select one of the categories
C. On the Service Management page, you will find the names of all the local service
providers in that particular category from your state. To update a provider’s information,
click on the Update button found across from the provider’s name on the right side of the
screen.
D. From Service Update Form, click in the field boxes you wish to change, completely
erase the old information in the box, and enter new information. Click Submit button at
the bottom of the screen to confirm the updates.
E. You may receive a warning message that indicates certain fields are required. If so,
click the Back button to return to the previous page, and fill out all the required
information.
F. You should receive the Service Update page, which indicates, “The information has
been successfully updated.” Click OK button to confirm and return to Service Provider
Menu.
*Special Instructions for One-Stop Service Provider Data: The Service Locator will color-
code comprehensive One-Stop Centers and satellite One-Stop centers and display the information
accordingly [For a more detailed definition of a One-Stop center, please see Attachment A].
Comprehensive One-Stop Centers will be color-coded and displayed in red in the Service
Locator. National Toll-Free partner states who have already identified their local One-Stop
offices will simply need to fill in an additional field in the Service Update Form with a “Y” or
“N.” For National Toll-Free MOU states, this information has been completed for you in the
majority of states. You will simply need to confirm or update this information checking for
accuracy.
6. To Delete Local Service Provider Information
When you verify the Service Center information, you may find duplicate records or offices that
no longer exist. Please follow the instructions below to delete such records.
A. From Service Provider Menu, go to the right hand of your screen and under the
heading “Manage an Existing Entry,” select Update or Delete Provider Information or
Upload Image.
B. From Service Management page, find the name of the service center you wish to
delete on the left, click on the corresponding delete button on the right side of your
screen.
C. From Confirm Deletion of Service page, click DELETE button on the bottom to delete
this record.
D. You should receive the Service Deletion Complete page, which indicates, “The record
has been successfully deleted.” Click OK button to confirm and return to Service
Provider Menu.
Sneak Preview of Next Steps*!
* Please do not change this information yet, we will provide more detailed instructions soon!
To Create New Local Service Provider Record
With the new legislation and rapidly changing workforce development system emerging, you
may find that new local service providers have not been included in this database. To create a
new provider site:
A. From Service Provider Menu under the heading “Create a New Entry,” select the first
yellow bullet Create Provider Information.
B. From Service Provider Form page, fill out all the fields of the form, click Submit
button to confirm record creation.
C. You should receive the New Service Add Complete page, which indicates, “The
information has been successfully inserted.” Click OK button to return to Service
Provider Menu.
Passing Usernames and Passwords to Local Service Providers
The goal of the America’s Service Locator system is to pass on the data management to the local
service provider. By mid-February, the system will have been tested and all of the data will have
been validated by a state contact. At that point, you will receive another set of instructions
detailing the procedure for passing authorities to local service providers. Thank you for your
valuable time and efforts!
Attachment A: Definition of Comprehensive One-Stop Centers
Because One-Stop offices vary in the services they offer, we have decided to delineate
between comprehensive One-Stop Centers and satellite centers so that our users can be assured
that they are going to the office that offers the services they are seeking at the nearest physical
office site. We have included a definition of a comprehensive One-Stop center from the
Workforce Investment Act regulations:
Authority: Section 506 (c), Pub. L. 105-220; 20 U.S.C. 9276 (c)
Excerpt from Section 662.100 What is the One-Stop delivery system?
(c) The system must include at least one comprehensive physical center in each local area that
must provide the core services specified in WIA section 134 (d) (2), and must provide access to
other programs and activities carried out by the One-Stop partners.
(d) While each local area must have at least one comprehensive center (and may have additional
comprehensive centers), WIA section 134(c) allows for arrangements to supplement the center.
These arrangements may include:
(1) A network of affiliated sites that can provide one or more partners’ programs, services
and activities at each site;
(2) A network of One-Stop partners through which each partner provides services that are
linked, physically or technologically, to an affiliated site that assures individuals are
provided information on the availability of core services in the local area; and
(3) Specialized centers that address specific needs, such as those of dislocated workers.
(e) The design of the local area’s One-Stop delivery system, including the number of
comprehensive centers and the supplementary arrangements, must be described in the local plan
and be consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding executed with the One-Stop partners.

Attachment 3: Frequently Asked Questions

America’s Workforce Network
Toll-Free Help Line
1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627)
TTY: 1-877-TTY-JOBS (1-877-889-5627)
&
America’s Service Locator
www.servicelocator.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is America’s Workforce Network (AWN) Toll-Free Help Line?
A. The AWN Toll-Free Help Line is an easy-to-remember, no-cost telephone call that
provides workers and employers with the information they need to access public
workforce services via customer service representatives who can guide those who
are interested to appropriate federal and state resources as well as answering basic
workforce related questions.
Q. What is America’s Service Locator?
A. The Service Locator, located on the Internet at www.servicelocator.org, is a web-
based database that contains location and service information - including maps and
telephone numbers - that gets users to the physical locations... the bricks and
mortar if you will... where services are provided.
Q. Do they work together?
A. Yes. The National Toll-Free Help Line (1-877-US2-JOBS) and America’s Service
Locator (www.servicelocator.org) is a partnership between the Department of Labor
(DOL) and state and local entities, and are “front doors” to information about
products within the workforce development system.
The immediate connection and underlying premise of both the Service Locator and
the Toll-Free Help Line is service. Both products primary interest is in connecting
customers to DOL services from a broad national level down to local One-Stop
offices or other service providers. The partnership between the two products
effectively creates two means for users to access information about DOL products
and services - especially for those customers who do not have easy access to a
computer.
Q. What is America’s Workforce Network (AWN) and what is its relationship
with the Toll-Free Help Line and America’s Service Locator?
A. America’s Workforce Network (AWN) is a partnership among federal, state and
local governments, the private sector, labor organizations, educational institutions
and community- and faith-based organizations to provide information and services
to help Americans manage their careers and employers find skilled workers. As
part of its efforts, DOL supports AWN through national services such as the Toll-
Free Help Line.
Q. What is the relationship between Workforce Investment Act implementation
and the AWN Toll-Free Help Line and America’s Service Locator project?
A. Universal access to the workforce development system is one of the bedrock
principles of the Workforce Investment Act, which laid the groundwork for the
establishment of America’s Workforce Network. The AWN Toll-Free Help Line is
one tool for achieving universal access by providing a free and easy to use source
of information about federal, state, and local workforce development services.
Q. Where did the current data come from?
A. Specifically, data has come from Employment Services, Welfare to Work, Job
Corps, and One-Stop offices. Office location data has also been obtained from the
Office of Disabilities, Native American Affairs, Older Workers, ATELS and others.
Current data is only intended to serve as place holders that need to be updated and
maintained by state and local offices. In addition to data from National Program
Offices, Datatrac, the Toll-Free operator, has also provided data used by the Toll-
Free Helpline.
Q. What kind of information is available through the AWN Toll-Free Help Line?
A. The customer service representatives at the Toll-Free Helpline provide basic
information about laid-off worker assistance, unemployment insurance claims
procedures, and WARN provisions for employers. They also provide detailed
information, as provided by the state, about services resulting from specific layoffs
by specific employers, other state and local services, the closest location of training
providers, and Internet addresses and guidance to assist the caller to walk through
federal and state web sites.
Currently, eight states – Missouri, Iowa, New York, New Jersey, Alabama,
Georgia, Pennsylvania and Utah – have provided information on all Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) services to the AWN Toll-Free Help Line. By spring 2001,
WIA-wide information will be available for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands and the District of Columbia.
Q. What degree of state/local flexibility is planned?
A. The administrative structure of the web site has been designed to allow password
authorization from the national, state, and local levels. For example, a state would
be able to authorize usernames and passwords for local users to go into the system
and update their own information. This site structure will avoid undue
administrative burden.
In addition, there is space for states and locals to customize their information with
logos and their own narrative describing the services they offer at their office. The
site is structured so that information can easily be uploaded and maintained by
individual offices and programs on all levels.
Q. How do States partner with the Department of Labor to operate the AWN
Toll-Free Help Line?
A. There are three different levels of state participation:
Y Standard Partnership: The U.S. Department of Labor provides an implementation
grant to the state to provide and maintain data to the Toll-Free Help Line as well as
to publicize the number within the state. The Toll-Free Help Line answers state
calls, provides federal information, and referral numbers, locator information and
service descriptions at the level determined by the state.
Y Affiliate Relationship: This is a non-financial relationship in which the Toll-Free
Help Line answers state calls, provides only federal information, and provides the
caller with direction to state web sites and referral numbers. The state will answer
all state-specific questions.
Y State Call Center/Toll-Free Help Line Partnership: This option is for selected states
that currently operate viable State Call Centers (SCCs) in order to allow these SCCs
to perform the functions of the AWN Toll-Free Help Line.
Q. How do states partner with the Department of Labor to operate the AWN
Service Locator?
A. The America’s Service Locator/National Toll-Free Help Line initiative depends
upon the partnerships formed with federal partners, state and local partners, and
non-profit agencies. To ensure the success of this effort, we are utilizing a phased
implementation approach for populating the Service Locator. Data integrity
methods developed by Datatrac for use at the Toll-Free Help Line will address
customer service for both telephone contact and database integrity.
Partners at both the state and local level are able to create and maintain data in real
time. This ability allows our partners to effectively build a database from the
ground up. The core of this process is gathering data using templates that define
general provider information, site resources, and services that each office provides.
The America’s Service Locator team and Datatrac will work together to modify the
currently used template. These modifications will allow additional services to be
easily added to the Service Locator database.
Q. If the information is incorrect or needs updating who do we contact?
A. If there is any incorrect or missing data, the ASL service center can be reached at
1-877-348-0502 and is also accessible via TTY at 1-877-348-0501. The standard
hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday - Friday.
You can also email comments to Jennifer Warren - [email protected].

Attachment 4: Regional Contacts and Liaisons

Attachment 4


                REGIONAL TOLL-FREE HELP LINE(TFHL)
                  CONTACTS & AMERICA’S CAREER
                       KIT(ACK)LIAISONS

     TFHL Contacts                            ACK Liaisons
Region I Boston                       Paul Cleary
Mr. Robert Downing                    [email protected]
[email protected]
Region I New York                     Mr. Kirk Shrum
Mr. Kirk Shrum                        [email protected]
[email protected]
Region II Philadelphia                Jacqueline Mackey
Dennis Dougherty                      [email protected]
[email protected]
Ana Mulero
[email protected]
Region III Atlanta                    Darlene Stodolski
Gilford Painter                       [email protected]
[email protected]

Region IV Dallas                      David Lipnicky
James Howard                          [email protected]
[email protected]
Region IV Denver (Affiliate Office)   Juanita Bell
Barbara Vail                          [email protected]
[email protected]
Region V Chicago                      Tomas DiLisio
Nola Penn                             [email protected]
[email protected]
Gerardo Lara
[email protected]
Region V Kansas City (Affiliate   Bob Hanson
Office)                           [email protected]
Frank Wilson
[email protected]
Region VI San Francisco           Ron Cubit
Todd Yamamoto                     [email protected]
[email protected]

Region VI Seattle/                Nancy Szeto
(Affiliate Office)                [email protected]
Mary Edgar
[email protected]