2012 workforce information grants to states

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/tegl_27_11_acc.pdf

et
                                                      CLASSIFICATION
  EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION              Workforce Information
              ADVISORY SYSTEM                         CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
                                                      DNPTTA/Workforce Information
         U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
                                                      DATE
            Washington, D.C. 20210                    May 2, 2012



ADVISORY: TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 27-11

TO:            STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
               STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
               STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS
               STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND
               DIRECTORS
               STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
               STATE LABOR MARKET INFORMATION, WORKFORCE
               INFORMATION, OR RESEARCH DIRECTORS

FROM:          JANE OATES /s/
               Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:       Program Year (PY) 2012 Workforce Information Grants to States (WIGS):
               Policy and Program Guidance, Application Instructions, and Formula
               Allocations

1. Purpose. To provide policy and program guidance for the development,
   management, and delivery of Labor Market Information and Workforce Information
   (LMI-WI) core and special information services to state and local workforce
   investment boards (WIBs), One-Stop Career Centers, businesses, other employers,
   and the job-seeking public.

2. References.
   • Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520);
   • 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 93, 96, 97, and 98;
   • Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-87;
   • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d);
   • Wagner-Peyser Act Sections 7(a)(3)(D), 7(d), and 15; (29 U.S.C. 49f and 49l-2);
   • Sections 111(d)(8) and 309 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (Pub. L. 105-
      220, 29 U.S.C. 2821 (d)(8) and 49 l-2); and
   • Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 04-11, July 22, 2011,
      Application Instructions for Program Year (PY) 2011 Workforce Information Grants to
      States: Workforce Information (WI) and Labor Market Information (LMI) Formula
      Allocations.



 RESCISSIONS                                          EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                 Continuing

3. OMB Approval. In conformance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
   OMB has reviewed and approved this information collection (OMB Control Number
   1205-0417). This approval will expire on May 31, 2014.

4. Background. For PY 2012, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
   continues to emphasize the same themes promoted in the July 22, 2011 TEGL, and
   expects the states to expand upon them. In that guidance, ETA stressed the
   importance of leveraging grant funding by expanding partnerships within the
   workforce investment system and in the education, training and economic
   development communities (see TEGL No. 4-11). ETA also encouraged state LMI-WI
   and research entities to join partnerships to apply for competitive grants — since
   every workforce development enterprise can benefit from the workforce and labor
   market information, economic analyses, and the workforce intelligence gained from
   professional interpretation of these data within the context of state, regional, and
   local economies.

   In its PY 2011 TEGL, ETA also urged state LMI-WI and research entities to be
   prepared to help shape state policy and service delivery strategies by sharing their
   understanding of current labor market conditions and challenges and the
   anticipated industry, sector, and occupational growth. The need for accurate and
   comparable workforce data, information, analysis, and interpretative studies has
   always been high. The 2007-2009 recession and its continuing impact on many state,
   regional, and local economies elevates the importance of information services. State
   LMI-WI and economic research entities can help their states plan for the future and
   respond to the workforce needs of local business and regional economies.

5. Goal and Objectives. The goal for WIGS for PY 2012 is to continue to support
   increased employment and sustainable economic growth. Grantees are expected to
   contribute to the state and local workforce investment system strategic planning,
   service delivery, and transformational efforts. States — through their LMI-WI and
   research entities — must provide accurate and comparable data, information
   services, and resources to staff in the workforce investment system, businesses, and
   job seekers so these customers can make informed decisions about the services,
   training, and career paths that lead to good jobs. States must also provide actionable
   information, research, analyses, and interpretive studies to state and local policy
   makers to support the development of data-driven policies and service delivery
   strategies.

   ETA expects state grantees to use their PY 2012 WIGS funding to continue informing
   state and local planning and customer decision-making by:

    1. Populating the Workforce Information Database (WIDb) with state and local
      data;

2. Producing and disseminating industry and occupational employment projections
   including
       a. adopting and completing the implementation of the new projections
          software suite that the Projections Managing Partnership consortium of
          states developed using the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
          State LMI Improvement grant funding; and
       b. training key projections development staff.

3. Conducting and publishing relevant economic analyses, special workforce
   information, or economic studies determined to be of benefit to the governor, or
   state and local WIBs;

4. Posting products, information, and reports on the Internet; and

5. Collaborating and consulting on a continuing basis with WIBs and other key
   workforce and economic development partners and stakeholders to improve
   LMI-WI products, tools, and information services to meet evolving customer
   needs.

A Useful Resource on Customer Needs. The Workforce Information Council’s (WIC)
Customer Consultation Study Group developed a paper entitled Labor Market
Information Customers and Their Needs, which will be available at
http://www.workforceinfocouncil.org. WIC is a cooperative Federal-State group,
with members from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and 10 state
representatives (ETA staff also participate in WIC meetings). The study group
paper provides valuable customer service insights; suggests a practical self-
assessment of state LMI-WI products, tools, and services; and suggests actions that
state LMI and WI agencies could take to improve customer services. The paper
suggests that LMI-WI entities should:

•   map the relationship between LMI-WI customers and products;
•   refocus product offerings to reflect customer priorities to better align customer
    needs and LMI-WI products;
•   collect customer satisfaction information that focuses on how well the products
    meet targeted customer needs; and
•   investigate alternative outreach mechanisms mapped to specific customer
    groups.

ETA encourages states to assess how the WIC paper may be useful to LMI-WI and
research entities in planning PY 2012 activities. States could use the self-assessment
approach to determine any mismatches between the state’s LMI–WI services and
customer needs. This approach could also be useful in ascertaining unmet customer

   information needs.

6. Partnership Expectations. State LMI-WI and research entities should continue to
   seek out viable partnership and customer service opportunities that enable the
   leveraging of the WI grant to state program resources. ETA will continue to
   facilitate, assist, and support linkages among the state LMI-WI and research entities
   and ETA formula-funded and competitive grant-funded programs. Mutually
   beneficial partnerships can augment resources and improve program outcomes, and
   ensure that data-driven analyses influence all workforce investment system
   planning and program decisions.

   WIGS recipients are required to consult with their strategic partners to increase the
   scope and utility of the workforce information used to inform state and local policies
   and workforce and regional economic development strategies, and to enhance the
   availability and use of career guidance and resources by workforce investment
   system staff and job seekers.

7. Funding and Leveraging Resources. ETA provides formula-allotted WIGS to states
   to produce the required LMI-WI core products and services identified in the
   Statement of Work Deliverables (Attachment III of this guidance) and to develop
   other LMI-WI products and services needed to support the state and local workforce
   investment systems. After a 0.189 percent across-the-board budget rescission for
   ETA programs, a total of $31,939,520 will be available for PY 2012, minus a total of
   $176,655 allotted to Guam and the Virgin Islands. ETA will distribute the remaining
   amount of $31,762,865 by formula to states and the District of Columbia, with 40
   percent distributed equally to all states and 60 percent distributed based on each
   state’s relative share of the civilian labor force for the 12-month period ending
   September 2011 (see Attachment I for the table of state allocations).

8. Application for Federal Assistance. In accordance with TEGL No. 19-11 available
   at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=6655 (Final PY 2012
   Allotments for the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service Program Allotments;
   and Workforce Information Grants to States Allotments for PY 2012), states must
   electronically submit a SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance though the
   Grants.gov website before June 15, 2012.

   In addition, states must submit a SF 424A (Budget Information) to the appropriate
   ETA regional office within 45 days of the beginning of PY 2012 (July 1, 2012). All
   sections of the form must be completed, including the Budget Summary, Budget
   Categories, Forecasted Cash Needs (by quarter), and other budget information. The
   state must submit the SF 424 A to the appropriate regional office with a transmittal
   memorandum signed by the SWA Administrator and the state workforce
   investment board (SWIB) Chair.

   Following review of the state’s budget information, the regional office submits this
   information to the ETA Office of Grant Management for Grant Officer approval and
   processing of the Notice of Obligation (NOO). This year the NOO will include the
   following statement:

      Workforce Information Grants to States (WIGS) expenditures must be in
      accordance with TEGL XX-11 Program Year (PY) 2012 Workforce Information
      Grants to States (WIGS): Policy and Program Guidance, Application
      Instructions, and Formula Allocations; and the Wagner-Peyser Act Annual
      Funding Agreement provided in Attachment J of TEGL 19-11 (Final PY 2012
      Allotments for the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service Program Allotments;
      and Workforce Information Grants to States Allotments for PY 2012). By
      accepting WIGS funding, a state agrees to fulfill the statement of work attached
      to this NOO, and described in Attachment III of the annual WIGS TEGL.

   If circumstances prevent accomplishment of a specific grant deliverable during PY
   2012, the state must negotiate a deferral and a revised schedule with the appropriate
   ETA Regional Administrator. The regional office state grant file will contain
   documentation of the deferral agreement, including an explanation of the reasons
   for the delay and the agreed upon new completion date.

   The ETA regional office will document planned grant activities and grant
   accomplishments in the state’s grant file and those records will be made accessible,
   per 29 CFR 97.42(e)(1), for examination by ETA or other authorized Federal
   representatives.

9. Accountability. ETA will assess and document the effectiveness of grantee
   performance through the following approach.

   a. ETA Grant Reviews. The ETA regional offices will conduct periodic reviews of
      states’ progress towards meeting the PY 2012 grant deliverables and quarterly
      reviews of grant expenditures and obligations.

   b. Performance Reporting. ETA's reporting and common performance measures
      include reporting on the provision of workforce information services and the
      impact of those services on participant outcomes. State LMI-WI and research
      entities and offices should be aware that ETA captures and uses state reported
      data on the Entered Employment Rate, Employment Retention Rate after Six
      Months, and Earnings for participants following receipt of workforce
      information services, to inform national policy and program decisions.

      For PY 2012, ETA will continue to monitor workforce system outcomes for
      participants who received workforce information services. State LMI-WI and

      research entities can help their state Wagner-Peyser and WIA program partners
      better identify and more rigorously report when participants received workforce
      information services.

   c. Annual Performance Report. Grant recipients are required to submit an annual
      performance report for WIGS in accordance with 29 CFR 97.40(b)(1) and OMB
      Control Number 1205-0417. The annual performance report transmittal letter
      must be signed by the state workforce agency (SWA) administrator and the
      SWIB chair. The report must summarize the state’s accomplishments and the
      results of customer consultations about existing and needed workforce
      information services and products. The annual report serves as an
      accountability, management and outcome analysis tool for the states and ETA,
      and should be fully representative of the state’s LMI/WI work in PY 2012. In
      addition, the annual reports are a source for identifying promising practices and
      exemplary products. The PY 2011 and 2012 annual reports should be prepared,
      to the degree possible, in accordance with the following outline.

      •   Description of program deliverables (e.g., WIDb, projections, etc.);
      •   Description of the annual economic analysis or special reports produced;
      •   Explanation for why a grant deliverable was not accomplished, and an
          explanation of what will be done to ensure completion of the deliverable;
      •   Description of outcomes compared to the grant statement of work
          deliverables;
      •   Summary of the customer consultations regarding state workforce
          information products and services;
      •   Summary of activities to be undertaken to add customer value, where needs
          for improvements are indicated;
      •   Description of efforts to create and support partnerships and collaborations,
          including
          o state activities to leverage LMI-WI funding,
          o new and established partnerships, activities, and linkages,
          o tools and resources created through or supported by state and local
              partnership activities or collaborations during the program year;
      •   Description of new tools or resources developed in PY 2012; and
      •   Recommendations for changes and improvements to the required LMI-WI
          grants to states deliverables.

   ETA regional LMI-WI Federal Project Officers (FPOs) will review all state annual
   reports for acceptance and approval.

10. Consultation and Customer Satisfaction Assessment. Section 15 of the Wagner-
    Peyser Act, as amended by WIA Section 309 (Pub. L. 105-220, 29 U.S.C. 49, Sections
    15(a)(1)(b) and(e)(2)(A and B)), requires states to consult with customers about the

   relevance of the LMI collected and disseminated. ETA interprets these customers to
   include workforce and educational system stakeholders, business and regional
   economic development leaders within the state, and other strategic partners that
   foster workforce development. Consultation with the workforce investment system
   and other information users provides the basis for formulating continuous
   improvement strategies for the workforce information system. ETA does not
   prescribe an approach or methodology for conducting customer consultations.
   Methods can include focus groups, surveys, crowd-sourcing, Webinars, listening
   sessions, documented consultations, customer satisfaction assessments, or other
   methods considered appropriate by the state.

11. Special Grant Requirements. WIGS provided by this award must not supplant
    funds obligated from other funding sources for workforce information activities. All
    costs incurred under the grant must support the cost objectives specified in Section 5
    of this TEGL and must conform to the principles for "reasonable" and "allocable"
    costs as specified in OMB Circular A-87.

   All data collection activities must conform to the technical standards and
   methodologies established by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor
   Statistics, or document in the state’s grant file a sound business rationale for the use
   of an alternative methodology. In the production of state and local industry and
   occupational projections, states must use the new Projection Managing Partnership
   consortium’s software suite (available at http://dev.projectionscentral.com/, and
   then click on the “Products” folder at the top of the Web page).

   In the conduct of LMI-WI information technology (IT) systems and applications,
   ETA recognizes that Web-based tools play an important role in service delivery.
   Any IT system or application developed with WIGS must adhere to industry-
   standard, open architecture principles with documentation and software made
   available for use by other organizations for Federal governmental purposes.

12. Publications and Other Information Products. Grantees are required to submit
    accessible portable document format (.pdf) copies (not scanned) or hyperlinks to,
    pdf copies of the required annual report, annual economic analysis, or special
    workforce information studies (to meet deliverable number 3) to the appropriate
    regional office no later than September 30, 2013, which is 90 calendar days following
    the end of PY 2012. Any report, publication, or information product submitted to
    meet grant deliverables must meet Federal accessibility requirements stated by
    Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d). See
    www.section508.gov for more information.

   Grantees should submit copies of publications and other products produced with
   grant funding, of special interest to the workforce investment system, to the

   appropriate regional office. Examples of products of special interest include
   industry-specific research and analyses; state brochures describing the availability
   and functionality of electronic self-service tools; documentation of innovative
   applications developed for database access and manipulation; or innovative
   workforce information services available to workforce system staff and customers.
   States are encouraged to review the wide range of products and formats used in the
   PY 2010 annual state economic analysis reports, available at
   www.doleta.gov/Performance/results/AnnualReports/annual-report-10.cfm.

13. Grant Expenditure Period. Under the Wagner-Peyser Annual Funding Agreement,
    the maximum expenditure period for these funds is three years. The grant will
    cover, at a minimum, the 12-month period from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013, but
    may, if negotiated between the state and the ETA regional office, cover a longer
    period up to the maximum expenditure period ending June 30, 2015.

14. Grant Modifications. The grantee and the ETA regional office may jointly adjust
    planned expenditures within the state allotment during the grant period of
    performance. The regional office has authority to recommend the reallocation of
    grant funds to the ETA Grant Officer when overall grant expenditures and
    obligations are substantially below quarterly budgeted forecasts.

15. Financial Management and Reporting. States must forecast cash needs by quarter
    on SF 424A, Section D, for all quarters covered by the grant. State workforce
    agencies will report quarterly expenditures by direct data entry of the ETA 9130
    Financial Cost Report, into the Web-based Enterprise Business Support System. Per
    29 CFR 97.41(b)(4), quarterly financial reports are due 45 days following the end of
    each quarter. Address any questions regarding financial management and reporting
    for PY 2012, or for any existing prior year fund balances, to the appropriate ETA
    regional office.

16. Action Requested. Applications for Federal Assistance (SF 424) must be prepared in
    accordance with the instructions in TEGL 19-11
    (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=6655). SF 424As (Budget
    Information) are due to the regional offices within 45 days of the beginning of PY
    2012 (August 14, 2012). ETA Regional Administrators may approve a submission
    date later than 45 days.

      a. ETA requests that SWA Administrators transmit these grant application
         instructions to the appropriate SWA office(s) and the SWIB;
      b. Submit the original and two copies of the PY 2012 grant application package
         to the appropriate ETA regional office with a transmittal letter signed by: (1)
         the governor; or (2) both the SWA administrator and the chairperson of the
         SWIB; and

      c. Include in the grant application package the following documents:
            1. Transmittal Letter
            2. SF-424A (Budget Information)

17. Inquiries. Direct questions on the statement of work and grant requirements to the
    appropriate ETA regional office. Direct grant and financial management questions
    to the regional office, Gwendolyn Baron-Simms at (202) 693-3309, or to Thomas
    Martin, Grant Officer, at (202) 693-2989.

18. Attachments.
      I. Workforce Information Grants to States, PY 2012 vs. PY 2011 Allotments
     II. Grant Procedures
    III. Statement of Work Deliverables

Attachment I: Workforce Information Grants to States, PY 2012 vs. PY 2011 Allotments

Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/tegl_27_11_att1.pdf

Attachment I
                                 U. S. Department of Labor
                           Employment and Training Administration

                         Workforce Information Grants to States
                            PY 2012 vs PY 2011 Allotments



             State                 PY 2011          PY 2012         Difference    % Difference

Total                             $31,936,000     $31,939,520        $3,520           0.01%
Alabama                               500,647          508,082        7,435            1.49%
Alaska                                288,982          289,182          200            0.07%
Arizona                               632,935          634,754        1,819            0.29%
Arkansas                              411,497          411,636          139            0.03%
California                          2,483,795        2,471,363      (12,432)          -0.50%
Colorado                              570,990          574,272        3,282            0.57%
Connecticut                           476,946          476,928           (18)          0.00%
Delaware                              296,667          296,619           (48)         -0.02%
District of Columbia                  285,384          285,345          (39)          -0.01%
Florida                             1,379,470        1,382,267        2,797            0.20%
Georgia                               821,518          822,490           972           0.12%
Hawaii                                 322,344         322,178          (166)         -0.05%
Idaho                                  337,184         338,014           830           0.25%
Illinois                             1,060,267       1,059,262        (1,005)         -0.09%
Indiana                                628,290         628,745           455           0.07%
Iowa                                   450,618         450,398          (220)         -0.05%
Kansas                                 429,451         429,282          (169)         -0.04%
Kentucky                               499,293         503,058         3,765           0.75%
Louisiana                              500,874         498,490        (2,384)         -0.48%
Maine                                 330,405          330,165          (240)         -0.07%
Maryland                              607,963          611,479         3,516           0.58%
Massachusetts                         671,621          674,268        2,647            0.39%
Michigan                              840,199          826,454      (13,745)          -1.64%
Minnesota                             609,146          610,066           920           0.15%
Mississippi                           403,784          409,097         5,313           1.32%
Missouri                              612,168          616,486        4,318            0.71%
Montana                               305,461          305,900          439            0.14%
Nebraska                              364,956          365,623          667            0.18%
Nevada                                412,224          406,858       (5,366)          -1.30%
New Hampshire                         335,675          335,775          100            0.03%
New Jersey                            801,753          797,757       (3,996)          -0.50%
New Mexico                            362,260          360,655       (1,605)          -0.44%
New York                            1,431,886        1,421,421      (10,465)          -0.73%
North Carolina                        800,773          796,599       (4,174)          -0.52%
North Dakota                          289,407          290,251          844            0.29%
Ohio                                  973,816          968,454       (5,362)          -0.55%
Oklahoma                              461,908          458,559       (3,349)          -0.73%
Oregon                                484,674          489,737        5,063            1.04%
Pennsylvania                        1,032,323        1,024,530       (7,793)          -0.75%
Puerto Rico                           404,628          401,448       (3,180)          -0.79%
Rhode Island                          314,871          314,447         (424)          -0.13%
South Carolina                        510,108          510,204           96            0.02%
South Dakota                          298,888          299,393          505            0.17%
Tennessee                             615,549          626,347       10,798            1.75%
Texas                               1,734,172        1,751,537       17,365            1.00%
Utah                                  410,093          410,985          892            0.22%
Vermont                               288,413          288,917          504            0.17%
Virginia                              756,466          761,294        4,828            0.64%
Washington                            677,933          674,609       (3,324)          -0.49%
West Virginia                         340,653          340,288         (365)          -0.11%
Wisconsin                             617,807          620,620        2,813            0.46%
Wyoming                               280,219          280,277           58            0.02%
   State Total                     31,759,354       31,762,865        3,511            0.01%
Guam                                    92,813          92,818             5          0.01%
Virgin Islands                          83,833          83,837             4          0.00%
  Outlying Areas Total                 176,646         176,655             9          0.01%

Attachment II: Grant Procedures

Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/tegl_27_11_att2.pdf

Attachment II
Grant Procedures

A. Grant Agreement. The Wagner-Peyser Annual Funding Agreement covers the
   Wagner-Peyser base grant and the Workforce Information Grants to States (WIGS)
   for Fiscal Year 2012/Program Year 2012. The annual funding agreement includes
   assurances and certifications that apply to all grants covered by the agreement.
   Therefore, grantees do not need to submit separate Assurances and Certifications
   with the WIGS application for Federal assistance.

B. Grant Application. States must submit a SF 424A (Budget Information) to the
   appropriate ETA regional office with a transmittal memorandum signed by the
   SWA Administrator and the SWIB Chair. All sections of the form must be
   completed, including the Budget Summary, Budget Categories, Forecasted Cash
   Needs (by quarter), and other budget information for the period covered by the
   grant. ETA requests that states submit the original and two copies of the complete
   grant package to the appropriate ETA Regional Administrator (RA) within 45 days
   of the date of this guidance.

C. Grant Approval. ETA RAs are responsible for final approval of the grant.
   Following review of the state’s budget information, the regional office submits
   information on approved grants to the ETA Office of Grant Management for Grant
   Officer approval and processing of the Notice of Obligation (NOO). The RA will
   issue an approval letter, with a copy of the approved grant package, to the state and
   a copy of the approval letter to ETA’s Grant Officer. The Grant Officer will issue a
   NOO after receipt of the approved grant application from the RA. This year the
   NOO will include the following statement:

      Workforce Information Grants to States (WIGS) expenditures must be in
      accordance with TEGL XX-11 Program Year (PY) 2012 Workforce Information
      Grants to States (WIGS): Policy and Program Guidance, Application
      Instructions, and Formula Allocations; and the Wagner-Peyser Act Annual
      Funding Agreement provided in Attachment J of TEGL 19-11 (Final PY 2012
      Allotments for the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service Program Allotments;
      and Workforce Information Grants to States Allotments for PY 2012). By
      accepting WIGS funding, a state agrees to fulfill the statement of work attached
      to this NOO, and described in Attachment III of the annual WIGS TEGL.

D. Grant Modifications. The grantee and ETA regional office may jointly adjust
   forecasted quarterly expenditures, within the state allocation, during the grant
   period of performance. The regional office has authority to recommend funding
   adjustments and reallocation of funds within the region to the Grant Officer when
   overall grant expenditures are substantially below quarterly budget forecasts in the
   approved SF- 424A.

Attachment III: Statement of Work Deliverables

Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/tegl_27_11_att13.pdf

Attachment III

Statement of Work Deliverables

Workforce Information Grants to States (WIGS) provide the funding to produce
deliverables one through five specified in this Attachment. The deliverables include the
population and maintenance of the Workforce Information Database (WIDb); the
production of state and local industry and occupational employment projections; and
other workforce information services and economic analyses products required to
support those of Federal, state, regional, and local workforce investment systems.

Grantees are required to produce all five deliverables with Program Year (PY) 2012
funding. Except for deliverables one and two (WIDb maintenance and enhancement, and
industry and occupational employment projections) which are expected to be standard
and comparable across states, states are allowed flexibility in developing the remaining
three required deliverables. This flexibility enables states to determine customer
information service needs, the relative service delivery priority for products or services,
the content and form of the deliverables, and the level of investment in each deliverable
that best meets state, regional, and local information needs.

States are required to consult with their state and local workforce investment boards,
economic development agencies, educators, and other relevant organizations to secure
stakeholder input on the development of grant deliverables.

ETA acknowledges and supports the use of WIGS to produce other information products
and services, such as workforce information training for state and local workforce system
staff, the production of occupational and career guidance resources that support job
seekers, and documentation of customer needs. States may also use grant funds to
address state staff training needs required to build or enhance staff capacity.

The five deliverables are as follows.

1) Populate WIDb with state and local data.

The WIDb provides states with a common structure for storing information in a single
database in each state. The database serves as the cornerstone for information delivery,
workforce research, and product development for information that is standard and
comparable across all states. The database, once populated, brings together critical
workforce information from many sources to promote better analysis and professional
interpretation.

Using the same version of the database in all states is important and necessary for
comparative analysis purposes and for ease of maintenance. Therefore, states are
required to implement and maintain the most current version (v 2.5) of the WIDb and
populate all tables designated as core tables in accordance with guidelines issued by the
Analyst Resource Center (ARC). Timely database content updates are necessary to
ensure that data are as current as the state’s most recent publications and data releases.
The ARC will provide technical assistance, support, and information via the ARC Web
site at http://www.workforceinfodb.org.

The listing of the current core data elements, including those elements all states must
populate and the associated database tables, is available at the same Internet address.
States are required to populate the database with the license.dbf and licauth.dbf licensing
files. States must update licensing data every two years. States are required to submit
licensing data through the National Crosswalk Service Center (NCSC). The NCSC sends
the data to the America’s Career InfoNet (ACINet) Web site at
http://www.CareerInfoNet.org. The licensed occupation information is located on
ACINet, and has been recoded from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)
taxonomy to the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) and Standard
Occupational Classification (SOC) taxonomy. The NCSC will assist states in recoding
their files from OES to O*NET and SOC for submittal to ACINet, if necessary. States may
access information and support through the NCSC Web site at
http://www.xwalkcenter.org, or by calling (515) 242-5034. Additionally, state WIDb
data also support ETA’s CareerOneStop Web site.

The ARC technical Web site — along with related Internet links and electronic
newsletters — provides training, support materials, and information updates to help
states realize the full potential of the WIDb. It is important that all states take advantage
of the resources and training opportunities provided. States may use grant funds for any
costs required to populate, maintain, and update the database including staff training.
States are expected to avail themselves of ARC training and support and to use WIGS to
do so.

2) Produce and disseminate industry and occupational employment projections.

States must continue to produce and disseminate state and sub-state industry and
occupational employment projections, using the methodology, software tools, and
guidelines developed by the Projections Workgroup and the Projections Managing
Partnership consortium of states.

These products and methodologies cover the production and dissemination of industry
and occupational employment projections, including the adoption and implementation
of the new projections software suite that the Projections Managing Partnership
developed using the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Labor Market
Information (LMI) Improvement grant funding, as well as training key projections staff
on these tools. It also includes the production of statewide, short-term industry and
occupational projections covering 2012 to 2014; and statewide and sub-state long-term



industry and occupational projections for 2010 to 2020. ETA supports and strongly
encourages the production and dissemination of sub-state and local projections.

States must report to the appropriate Regional Administrator any inability to produce
sub-state area and local long-term projections. The regional office Federal Project Officer
will document the grant default in the state’s grant file.

ETA expects state grantees to use annual WIGS funding to access and participate in
needed training opportunities offered or sponsored by the Projections Workgroup and
the Projections Managing Partnership.

3) Conduct and publish relevant economic analyses, special workforce information,
and/or economic studies of benefit to the governor and state and local Workforce
Information Boards (WIBs).

Based on customer, stakeholder, and partner consultations identifying workforce
information needs, states must use WIGS to develop, publish, and submit an annual state
economic analyses and special studies capable of informing workforce and economic
development policy and investment decisions to be made by governor and state or local
WIBs. These analyses may also support the LMI-WI and economic development
information needs of other system stakeholders such as state, regional, and local
economic and workforce development organizations, education and training institutions,
community colleges, and other state-identified partners, as documented and appropriate.

All information sources used in the analyses and studies by states must be clearly
referenced and footnoted. ETA continues to encourage state LMI-WI offices and
economic research entities to expand the scope and depth of each analysis they develop
by including information from multiple external, credible sources of workforce, labor
market, and economic information where relevant and based on needs identified through
customer consultations and product assessments.

Grantees are required to submit portable document format (.pdf) copies or hyperlinks to
.pdf files of required economic analyses, special workforce information, or special
economic studies to the appropriate regional office by no later than September 30, 2013,
which is 90 calendar days following the end of PY 2012.

Also, grantees are required to submit to the appropriate regional office accessible .pdf
copies (not scanned) or hyperlinks to .pdf files of other products and publications
produced with WIGS that are of special interest to the workforce investment system.
Examples of products of special interest include industry-specific research and analyses,
state brochures describing the availability and functionality of electronic self-service
tools, documentation of innovative applications developed for database access or
manipulation, and innovative workforce information services available to workforce



investment system staff and customers.

4) Post products, information, and reports on the Internet.

States are required to post grant-funded products, reports (including those developed for
deliverable three above), and other workforce information on the Internet or to
disseminate the information through other electronic media to facilitate use by the
workforce and economic development systems, other partners, stakeholders, and the
public. It is appropriate to use WIGS to develop, maintain, improve, and host Web sites
and other electronic delivery systems in support of this deliverable.

5) Consult on a continuing basis with workforce investment boards and other key
workforce and economic development partners and stakeholders.

The WIGS TEGL requires grantee consultation with the state workforce agencies, state
and local WIBs, economic and workforce investment organizations, education and
training institutions (including community colleges), and other appropriate state-
identified strategic partners and stakeholders to increase the scope and utility of
workforce information to inform workforce and economic development vision, priorities,
strategies and to enhance career guidance resources and tools.

ETA expects WIGS recipients to establish and maintain strategic partnerships that work
to identify and address customer information needs, as well those of state and local
workforce investment system staff users and other state-identified stakeholders.

Grantees are expected to collaborate with as many stakeholders as possible, including
economic development agencies, education and training institutions, industry
associations, business and labor groups, and other state-identified groups to gather and
analyze a wide variety of workforce and economic data to inform decision-making, track
and interpret economic conditions, benchmark competitiveness, and measure outcomes.
Grantees must document the above in the appropriate grant files and document in the
annual report the customer needs identified through consultations (including
consultations with state workforce development partners, the business community, the
media, and other stakeholders).