2012 WIA adult and dislocated worker guidance

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_33_11_acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION               WIA/Wagner-Peyser
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                          CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                      OWI
             Washington, D.C. 20210                     DATE
                                                        June 8, 2012


ADVISORY: TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 33-11

TO:                  STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                     STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
                     STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
                     STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND
                     DIRECTORS
                     ONE STOP CAREER CENTER MANAGERS
                     STATE VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING DIRECTORS
                     WIA SECTION 166 GRANTEES
                     ETA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS

FROM:                JANE OATES /s/
                     Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:             Annual Program Guidance for the Program Year 2012 Workforce
                     Investment Act (WIA) Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Wagner-Peyser
                     programs

1. Purpose. The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to:
   • Communicate the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) program and policy
      priorities for the formula-funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult, Dislocated
      Worker and Wagner-Peyser programs in Program Year (PY) 2012.
   • Share resources, tools, and strategies the workforce system can use to support the
      implementation of these program and policy priorities.
   • Provide technical assistance and support to states and local areas in the development of
      2012 State Workforce Plans as required by TEGL 21-11, “Requirements for 2012 State
      Workforce Plans.”

2. References.
   • Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), as amended (29 US Code 2801 et seq.)
   • TEGL No. 15-10, “Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by
      Participants of the Public Workforce System”
   • TEGL No. 26-10, “PY 2011 Allotments for WIA, Wagner-Peyser Act Employment
      Service, and Workforce Information Grants to States”
   • TEGL No. 02-07, “Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship as a Workforce Development
      Strategy for the Workforce Investment System”
   • TEGL No. 21-11, “Requirements for 2012 State Workforce Plans”

RESCISSIONS                                           EXPIRATION DATE
None                                                  Continuing

      •    TEN No. 31-11, “The Rapid Response Framework”
      •    TEN No. 32-11, “Rapid Response Self-Assessment Tool”

3. Background. Even as the economy recovers from the recession and job growth returns,
   there is still work to be done to help jobseekers return to work, help employers gain access to
   the skilled workers they need to compete globally, and meet the needs of vulnerable
   populations who need assistance connecting to the labor market. According to the Bureau of
   Labor Statistics (BLS), the national unemployment rate, as of April 2012, has declined to 8.1
   percent for the overall population. Yet more than six million workers have been unemployed
   for 27 weeks or more, and of those, 4.5 million have been unemployed for a year or more.
   While economic conditions have impacted a range of adult workers, vulnerable populations
   such as veterans and eligible spouses, military spouses, adults with disabilities, ex-offenders,
   immigrants, low-skilled dislocated workers, older workers, and public assistance recipients
   have been disproportionately affected by the economic downturn and lengthy periods of
   unemployment.

      Minorities too have experienced challenges in returning to work. The unemployment rate for
      African Americans stands at 13 percent, substantially higher than the national rate, while the
      rate for Hispanics is 10.3 percent. 1 While providing employment and training services to help
      these populations find good jobs, the workforce investment system is also being called on to
      help highly-skilled professionals who are, in many cases, dealing with significant
      unemployment for the first time in their careers due to downsizing and layoffs in the business
      community.

      As the workforce system connects jobseekers to jobs, it faces the additional challenge of
      meeting employer demand for skilled labor, which is projected to grow significantly over the
      next decade. Many jobs are now requiring a higher level of education and credential
      attainment at a time when over five million unemployed adults in the United States lack a
      postsecondary degree or certificate. 2 This challenge is further complicated as Federal
      funding for the workforce system has become constrained by a rising demand for services,
      leaving fewer dollars available for training.

      Overcoming these challenges will require the public workforce investment system to create
      new approaches and policies, focus resources, and increase its awareness of how innovation
      can foster greater efficiencies.

4. Overview of National Policy and Program Priorities. The public workforce system is
   being called upon to be at its most effective and innovative during the current economic
   climate. Both government and private sector leaders are urging the creation of solutions to
   reemploy America’s workers and help employers meet workforce shortages. In response,
   ETA encourages states and local areas to consider the following three national policy and
   program priorities as they plan for and execute the PY 2012 WIA Adult and Dislocated
   Worker and Wagner-Peyser programs:
1   Bureau of Labor Statistics – March 2012 Report
2   Bureau of Labor Statistics – July 2011 Report

       •   Improving the effectiveness of workforce programs through increased interagency
           coordination and cross-program alignment, enhanced services offered through the
           nation’s One-Stop Career Centers, and the strategic use of labor market information
           and evidence-based practices by the nation’s workforce leaders and boards;

       •   Enhancing jobseeker competitiveness through a focus on increased credential
           attainment that results in raised earnings and employment outcomes for public
           workforce system participants and skilled workers for the nation’s employers; and

       •   Promoting a dual customer focus that aligns ETA’s employment and training
           investments in jobseekers with the workforce needs of employers.

   ETA believes that the policy priorities and proposed strategies outlined in this TEGL will
   help public workforce system leaders focus state and local planning efforts and budgeting
   priorities throughout the 2012 State Workforce Plan development process. Further, it is
   expected that the resources referenced in this guidance letter will be used in program
   implementation, where applicable. Together, ETA and its state, local, and tribal workforce
   system agency partners can help the public workforce system meet the challenges of today’s
   economy and continue to gain ground in helping Americans get good jobs, earn family-
   sustaining wages, and move up a chosen career ladder.

5. Improving the Effectiveness of Workforce Programs. At a time of constrained resources,
   including a recent reduction in statewide reserve funding, states and local areas should
   allocate funds to workforce programs and practices that can ultimately achieve measurable
   and improved outcomes for the public workforce investment system and its dual customers –
   jobseekers and employers. These budgetary constraints will continue to spur Federal, state,
   and local workforce investment system agency partners to identify new ways to improve
   service delivery and cost-effectiveness as well as enhance collaborative efforts.

   Working in tandem, states and local areas can consider implementing the following key
   strategies for making the public workforce system and its services more effective::

   A. Streamline Administrative Processes to Maximize Program Efficiency
      Building an effective public workforce system requires leadership at both the state and
      local levels. Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) can work at a “system” level to
      facilitate shared planning across agencies, leverage the financial resources of multiple
      agencies and programs, and create shared performance management systems.
      Workforce partnerships at local and regional levels can, at the point of service delivery,
      integrate education, training, and other support services where job seekers and
      employers access them.
         • Simplify processes for intake, application, and case management. Many state and
              local areas are adopting integrated intake processes and case management to
              reduce the practice of requiring customers to provide their basic information
              multiple times and to support streamlined eligibility determination and service

                 provision. For example, Missouri’s Next Generation Career Center initiative
                 integrates service delivery for customers across a variety of workforce programs,
                 including Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), WIA, and Wagner- Peyser
                 programs. In addition, many states have streamlined the intake and eligibility
                 process for first-time customers, placing them on a fast track for service.

            •    Promote data sharing and integrated reporting across workforce programs. States
                 such as Pennsylvania and Texas have adopted integrated reporting across WIA,
                 Wagner-Peyser and Trade Adjustment Assistance programs. This approach to
                 reporting reduces duplicate record keeping by allowing grantees administering
                 multiple workforce programs to utilize a single set of formats to report on
                 jobseeker and employer interaction with the workforce investment system. States
                 and local areas can view a sample integrated report layout at the Web site:
                 http://www.doleta.gov/Performance/guidance/wia/Appendix_D_WISRD_Specific
                 ations.xls. Additionally, other states have developed cross-agency Memoranda of
                 Understanding and procedures that allow them to better share data across
                 education and job training programs. These approaches remove some of the
                 administrative hurdles that prevent better program cooperation and
                 communication.

            •    Explore and request waivers that advance more integrated implementation of state
                 workforce strategies. To support state and local efforts that improve service
                 delivery, ETA will consider offering administrative flexibility under its waiver
                 authority (WIA Section 189(i)(4)) in addition to changes adopted in the 2012
                 State Plan requirements. Information regarding waivers can be reviewed at
                 http://www.doleta.gov/waivers.

    B. Increase Interagency Coordination and Cross-Program Alignment
       Collaborative partnerships with education, social and human services, economic
       development, and employers are critical in the creation of a workforce system that helps
       unemployed and underemployed workers enter and advance in the job market.
       Increased alignment among agency partners can provide easier access to all workforce
       programs at any point of entry into the system. This “no wrong door” approach can
       ensure the most effective leveraging of funding and expand participant access to
       integrated services.

         A specific benefit of such heightened integration efforts is a service delivery system that
         more fully connects jobseekers to work supports. Research evidence shows that work
         supports - which include child care subsidies, public health insurance, the Earned
         Income Tax Credit, food stamps, transportation subsidies, and other related programs -
         can substantially boost income and improve family well-being, both while low-wage
         workers are employed and during extended periods of unemployment. 3 State and local
         workforce investment areas have an important role to play in helping the unemployed
3Nancy K. Cauthen, Improving Work Supports: Closing the Financial Gap for Low-Wage Workers and Their Families
Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute, 2007

access these work supports. For example, states can apply for “Gap Filler” Health
Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) National Emergency Grants (NEG) to help TAA-eligible
dislocated workers and other eligible individuals pay up to 72.5% of their qualified
health insurance premiums until they are enrolled in the Internal Revenue Service’s
(IRS) HCTC program and receive the appropriate IRS tax credit.

ETA encourages state and local WIBs to review current service delivery strategies and,
where possible, work with their partners to:

  •   Improve joint strategic and unified planning processes across multiple agencies
      that capitalize on the resources and strengths of each agency partner and support
      economic recovery goals. For example, Massachusetts’ Departments of Labor,
      Education, and Housing and Economic Development jointly developed a state-
      level strategic plan in 2011 to achieve the state’s workforce development goals in
      four key sectors – health care, life sciences, information technology, and
      advanced manufacturing. One of the primary goals of the joint plan was to better
      align existing educational and workforce training programs and resources across
      the state with clearly defined industry-specific pathways to employment.

  •   Improve the connection between the WIA, Wagner -Peyser and Unemployment
      Insurance (UI) systems. To shorten the duration of unemployment for UI
      claimants and to enhance reemployment services for all unemployed job seekers,
      ETA and state and local workforce agencies are collaborating to implement new
      and innovative reemployment strategies. This collaboration envisions four
      significant transformational changes to the current UI and workforce system
      processes: 1) integrated customer registration to create a "no wrong door" point of
      entry for a combined system; 2) real-time triage to ensure initial and continuing
      customer assessment to focus services and benefits; 3) real-time job matching and
      labor market information; and 4) use of the Internet and social media channels.
      More information can be found in the “Unemployment Insurance and Workforce
      System Connectivity Workgroup Final Report” at
      https://www.workforce3one.org/view/4011107031158575200/info.

  •   Develop a support service network for struggling jobseekers. The network should
      include representatives from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
      and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agencies, adult basic education
      providers, and community-based organizations. Access to job clubs, childcare,
      transportation, mental health counseling, housing information, and financial aid
      information can better ensure educational success and job retention outcomes for
      adults and dislocated workers.

  •   Pilot the use of innovative financing models through leveraged public and private
      partnership funding or blended federal and state funding to enhance training
      programs. Minnesota’s successful FastTRAC (Training, Resources, and
      Credentialing) career pathways initiative is supported by a variety of funding

           partners, including federal, state, and private foundation support. More
           information about FastTRAC can be viewed at http://mnfasttrac.org/partners.html.

       •   Increase the number of training programs that integrate academic and
           occupational skills, thereby generating sustained improvements in the
           performance of the public workforce system, both in terms of cost-effectiveness
           and outcomes for jobseeker and employer customers. Examples such as career
           pathways and learn-and-earn models are covered in more detail in Section 6 of
           this TEGL.

C. Deliver Enhanced Workforce Services through One-Stop Career Centers
   In an effort to serve greater numbers of customers, many states and local workforce areas
   are working to augment the quality of core and intensive services available to jobseekers
   and employers. States and local areas should work to ensure the maximum coordination
   among ETA programs and services to help unemployed adults, dislocated workers,
   (including those who are served through NEGs) and underemployed adults. ETA
   encourages state and local workforce agencies to adopt practices that deliver high-quality
   services to help customers enter and retain good jobs and increase workforce program
   effectiveness, such as:

       •   Use the latest online career development tools such as mySkills myFuture and
           MyNextMove in the provision of core and intensive services. The ETA-produced
           CareerOneStop Web sites have tasks, skills, and salary information for over 900
           different careers. The career exploration tool, My Next Move, is built on O*NET
           and includes the O*NET Interest Profiler, which offers personalized career
           suggestions based on a person’s interests and level of work experience. The
           mySkills myFuture Web site is a skills transferability tool that allows jobseekers
           to learn more about their career options. The customized My Next Move Web
           site for veterans allows them to enter their military occupational code and
           discover civilian jobs that require similar skills.

       •   Invest in professional development opportunities that build the capacity of One-
           Stop Career Center staff to help customers create individualized career plans and
           define career pathways.

       •   Ensure that WIA and Wagner-Peyser core and intensive services are informed by
           up-to-date labor market information that is customized for both jobseekers and
           businesses. Staff can use resources such as the Labor Market Information Center
           at http://www.careeronestop.org/lmi/LMIHome.asp, which provides detailed
           labor market data to help each customer research current employment trends and
           identify fast growing occupations in a state or local area.

       •   Pilot new case management strategies that improve career planning services and
           increase retention by using social media tools and the Effective Case Management
           Resource Map. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can be

           used to reach out to jobseekers and keep them updated about job openings, career
           fairs, and workshops. The Resource Map, developed by ETA in 2010, includes
           over 100 resources and identifies key activities and competencies for front-line
           staff. It also provides detailed examples of state and local workforce system
           efforts to improve career planning. The Map can be viewed at
           https://www.workforce3one.org/view/2001107448386281282/info.

       •   Fully integrate newly designed strategies to serve vulnerable populations,
           including veterans and eligible spouses, military spouses and disabled adults, into
           the provision of core and intensive services. For example, to aid veterans in
           reemployment and career transition efforts, ETA and the Veterans’ Employment
           and Training Services (VETS) launched the Gold Card initiative. The Gold Card
           provides unemployed post-9/11 era veterans with enhanced intensive and follow-
           up services. More information on the Gold Card can be found at
           http://www.dol.gov/vets/goldcard.html. Additionally, the Disability and
           Employment Community of Practice at http://disability.workforce3one.org
           provides a wide range of promising practices, successful strategies and model
           service delivery examples to help states and local areas improve employment
           outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities.

       •   Develop and continuously improve Rapid Response teams and practitioners to
           ensure that affected workers return to work as quickly as possible following a
           layoff, or prevent layoffs altogether. TEN 31-11, “The Rapid Response
           Framework,” shares key global attributes of a successful Rapid Response system,
           and ensures that all state and local leaders understand the full array of strategies
           and activities that can be carried out by Rapid Response units. TEN 32-11
           announces the availability of a revised Rapid Response Self-Assessment Tool that
           allows states to examine various elements of their Rapid Response systems, assess
           performance, take an inventory of Rapid Response service delivery, and identify
           areas for self-improvement.

       •   Assess prior learning experiences to help adults and dislocated workers obtain
           academic credit for independently attained knowledge and skills, thereby
           accelerating the process for credential attainment. Prior learning experiences
           might include on-the-job training, volunteerism, military service, and self-study
           courses. More information on prior learning assessment can be viewed in the
           ETA webinar, “New Strategies to Increase Credential Attainment” at
           https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001130749311694434/info.

       •   Explore the use of virtual points of access and alternative service locations, such
           as libraries or community centers, mobile van units or kiosks, to provide cost-
           effective workforce services to customers in remote or rural areas.

D. Build the Capacity of Workforce Leaders to Create Effective Workforce Strategies
   State and local workforce investment board (WIB) members, state- and local-level board

staff, and other cross-sector agency leaders are charged with creating strategic workforce
solutions for communities and regions. These strategic solutions should take into account
the labor market realities and skills needs of a region and incorporate evidence-based
practices that have been proven through rigorous evaluation to work.
There is an increasing public awareness of the significant role that state and local
workforce boards play in transforming the public workforce system. For example, the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report in January 2012 entitled,
“Innovative Collaborations between Workforce Boards and Employers Helped
Meet Local Needs.” The report positively highlighted the efforts of 14 local workforce
boards to effectively meet the needs of multiple employers across industry sectors, such
as healthcare and manufacturing. The report also discussed the critical leadership that
these boards provided in spurring action and building effective partnerships to meet skills
shortages and employer needs in those high-demand industries. Six common factors
were cited in the success of these boards: a focus on urgent employer needs; leadership;
leveraging resources; employer-responsive services; minimizing administrative burden;
and demonstrating results.

ETA recognizes the importance of providing ongoing support to these leaders as they
craft strategic solutions to workforce challenges and remain focused on the goals of
helping Americans find good jobs and employers remain competitive. To achieve these
goals, ETA encourages state and local workforce agencies to:

   •   Use real-time labor market information and economic development data to build
       state workforce plans. Workforce leaders should craft strategic workforce plans
       that reflect a strong understanding of current labor market dynamics; expected
       growth in regional industry and economic sectors; and the requisite workforce
       skills needed. As an example, Washington’s state workforce investment board is
       currently retooling its state workforce plan, High Skills, High Wages to include
       updated labor market and demographic information and to set new workforce
       program targets for the next ten years. More information can be found at
       http://www.wtb.wa.gov/highskills2012.asp.

   •   Help build the knowledge of state and local workforce boards about the
       identification and inclusion of evidence-based strategies into strategic planning
       efforts. Evidence-based practice is the process of systematically finding and
       using current research findings as the basis for making sound workforce strategy
       decisions. More information can be found in the online tutorial, “Making the
       Case for What Works: Using Evidence-Based Practices to Support Innovation” at
       https://www.workforce3one.org/view/3001135638181284985.

   •   Provide regular training opportunities for state and local workforce board
       members to increase their collaboration-building capacity. ETA recently funded
       the Enhancing Workforce Leadership technical assistance project. The project
       talked with over 500 workforce leaders across the country and created a “how to”

              leadership framework called “WE-dership,” reflecting key qualities system
              leaders said are needed for effective workforce leadership today. A resource
              guide, community and industry leadership simulations, and video perspectives on
              leadership from some of the nation’s top workforce leaders are among the tools
              that are available at https://enhancingworkforceleadership.workforce3one.org.
              These tools can easily be integrated into current state and local board member
              training efforts and can be used to initiate cross-agency discussions designed to
              tackle challenging workforce problems.

6. Enhancing Jobseeker Competitiveness. President Obama has issued the challenge for the
   United States to lead the world in the percentage of citizens with postsecondary degrees,
   industry-recognized certificates, and credentials by 2020. In alignment with the President’s
   ambitious goal, the Secretary of Labor also set a High Priority Performance Goal to increase
   the percentage of participants in the public workforce system who receive training and attain
   a degree or certificate by June 2013 by ten percent. Occupations that usually require an
   industry-recognized credential or post-secondary degree are expected to account for nearly
   half of all new jobs from 2008 to 2018 and one-third of total job openings with the fastest
   growth will occur in occupations requiring an associate degree.

   ETA encourages States and local workforce areas to review TEGL 15-10
   (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL15-10.pdf) for strategies to increase the rate of
   credential attainment among workforce program participants and improve the quality of
   those credentials. Increasing credential attainment requires aligning state and local policies
   and service delivery models to help customers successfully complete training. State and
   local workforce investment boards are well positioned to convene the diverse group of
   stakeholders needed to frame a common vision as to how best develop effective strategies to
   increase credential attainment rates.

   Therefore, ETA recommends the following strategies to enhance jobseeker competitiveness:

   A. Support the Expansion of Career Pathways Models
      In 2010, the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services partnered
      to launch the Pathways Out of Poverty initiative, funding 11 grantees to create well-
      articulated and sustainable career pathways. The grantees were provided with technical
      assistance, access to subject matter experts, and the latest research on career pathways.
      As a result of the initiative, a comprehensive set of technical assistance tools and
      resources was created to help states and local areas to implement effective career
      pathways models. In April 2012, the Assistant Secretaries of ETA, the Office of
      Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) and the Administration for Children and
      Families (ACF) issued a joint letter of support encouraging states and local areas to
      collaborate and leverage resources to build and expand career pathways systems for
      youth and adults. The Career Pathways technical assistance tools can be viewed at
      https://learnwork.workforce3one.org.


   ETA encourages states and local workforce areas to consider the following strategies to
   build and expand career pathways models:

       •   Collaborate with secondary and post-secondary education and employers to
           design and deliver training that integrates basic skills education with
           contextualized learning and helps students attain work readiness skills. A well-
           known example of a successful career pathways program is Washington’s
           Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. Students are
           co-enrolled in adult education and post-secondary technical training that is jointly
           designed by basic skills instructors and college-level technical faculty members.
           Under the I-BEST model, instruction in basic skills/English as a Second
           Language is integrated with technical skills instruction, allowing adult education
           students to begin earning college credit while still in enrolled in adult education.
           More information on Washington’s I-BEST model can be found at
           http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/college/e_integratedbasiceducationandskillstraining.asp
           x.

       •   Convene cross-agency partnerships to develop career pathways systems that focus
           on high-growth, high-demand industry sectors and help advance the employability
           of low-skilled, low-income adults. States like Minnesota, Arkansas, and
           Wisconsin have developed comprehensive partnerships with community colleges,
           Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) agencies, and chambers of
           commerce to design successful state-level career pathways initiatives.

       •   Work with local and regional employers to identify and validate in-demand
           credentials that have value for business and the individuals who earn them. ETA
           will use input from the business community to identify and disseminate
           information on the quality and value of various credentials. More information on
           licenses and certificates, including new icons designating quality indicators for
           specific certifications, can be found in the Workforce Credentials Information
           Center at http://www.careeronestop.org/credentialing/CredentialingHome.asp.


B. Expand the Use of Learn-and-Earn Training Models
   Learn-and-earn training models are particularly relevant for low-income or under-skilled
   workers who seek better jobs and career success. Employers who cannot find workers
   with the requisite skills necessary to fill a certain job can also benefit greatly from these
   models. Models, like on-the-job training (OJT) and Registered Apprenticeships, can
   bridge the divide between unemployment and employment by addressing gaps in an
   individual’s skill level that would hinder them from fully performing a new job. Some
   learn-and-earn models offer the unique opportunity to offset initial training costs for
   employers to fill skilled positions while building organizational productivity as the
   participant learns job requirements. Most programs feature modular or “chunked”
   curricula that allow workers to gain credentials on the way to attaining a full-time job.


       Data show that individuals who participated in OJT funded under WIA and registered
       apprenticeship programs in the past have demonstrated improved labor market
       attachment and enhanced job tenure, as illustrated by high rates of job placement and
       retention. In FY 2011, the average starting wage for an individual enrolled in a registered
       apprenticeship program was $16.01 per hour or $33,301 per year, with wages upon
       completion of a three to four year apprenticeship at $26.36 per hour or $54,829.

       In order to expand the use of these strategies, ETA encourages states and local areas to:

       •   Review TEGL 02-07, “Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship as a Workforce
           Development Strategy for the Workforce Investment System,”
           (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2491), which outlines ways
           that WIA, Wagner-Peyser and the Registered Apprenticeship system can coordinate
           and work together to expand training and employment opportunities.

       •   Increase access to learn-and-earn training models, like OJT and registered
           apprenticeships, which offer both academic and occupational credentials and improve
           job placement prospects for customers. Strategies and tools to create and implement
           successful OJT programs can be found in ETA’s Building the Next Generation On-
           the-Job Training Toolkit at https://ojttoolkit.workforce3one.org/.

       •   Review and, where possible, create state- and local-level policies that encourage the
           implementation of strategies that provide for the innovative delivery of courses and
           instruction, such as learn-and-earn programs.

7. Meeting Dual Customer Needs. It is more important than ever that the workforce system
   match its employment and training investments in jobseekers to the skills and workforce
   demands of employers. From applicant screening and job-writing assistance, to OJT and
   Rapid Response services, states and local areas have valuable assistance to provide at every
   stage of the business life cycle. The workforce system has worked to improve, refine, and
   expand employer resources to meet their changing needs while also addressing the
   employment and career advancement needs of jobseekers. Yet, there are still many
   companies that do not view the workforce system as a business partner.

   ETA recommends the following strategies to states and local areas to ensure that the system
   is providing high-quality services to the business community and jobseekers:

       •   Use labor market information and other data to build strategies. To deliver high-
           value services to businesses and jobseekers, states and local areas must base policy
           and service delivery strategies on a strong understanding of current labor market
           dynamics and expected growth in regional industry and economic sectors. Through
           Workforce Information Grants, states are able to secure or develop and provide data,
           information services, tools, and resources to the workforce system and other partners,
           including education and economic development. Local areas may also need to look
           to additional sources of economic and labor market data to customize their business

           engagement strategies. An analysis of job creation trends within regional economies
           may help identify new business partners likely to grow in the near-term. Similarly, an
           analysis of regional labor market information, paired with an analysis of the skills of
           the current jobseeker customer pool can help identify businesses and industry sectors
           that may produce promising job connections.

       •   Expand business engagement capacity. States and local areas use a variety of
           strategies to engage and retain business customers. To support states and local areas
           in this role, ETA provides training curricula for Business Service Representatives
           (BSRs) and other staff, such as Rapid Response professionals, who serve as main
           points of contact for businesses at http://businessengagement.workforce3one.org/.
           The site contains tools and resources on engaging businesses and delivering business
           services with the goal of helping states and local areas become more effective at
           partnering with and serving their business customers. ETA encourages the
           exploration of these tools and integration of them into business engagement
           strategies.

       •   Measure success. As states and local areas refine and expand business services, they
           can develop strategies for measuring impact and success that reflect both jobseeker
           and business customer outcomes. States and local areas are encouraged to build the
           capacity to clearly articulate the outcomes employers want to achieve through their
           work with the workforce system, and to identify strategies that will help determine if
           those outcomes resulted from the workforce service.

8. Inquiries. Questions regarding this guidance should be directed to the appropriate ETA
   regional office.

9. Attachment. Tools You Can Use

Attachment 1: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_33_11_att.pdf

Attachment: Tools You Can Use


In this TEGL, ETA has shared a variety of strategies and resources that states and local
areas can use to align with the national priorities and support the development of 2012
State Workforce Plans. This “Tools You Can Use” appendix provides links to tools and
resources referenced in the document. In addition to the appendix, states and local areas
are encouraged to visit ETA’s electronic professional development platform,
Workforce3One, at http://www.workforce3one.org to explore the various tools and
resources which have been submitted in recent years by state and local grantees and are
available for your adaptation and use.

Improving the Effectiveness of Workforce Programs

       •   The Effective Case Management Resources Web page contains resources and tools
           designed to help system administrators, local leaders and staff support high quality
           case management in the workforce system. To learn more, go to
           htpps://www.workforce3one.org/view/2001107448386281282/info.

       •   The Enhancing Workforce Leadership technical assistance project talked with
           workforce leaders across the country and created a “how to” leadership framework
           which reflects six key qualities system leaders said are needed for effective workforce
           leadership. It also includes a set of tools, including a resource guide, community and
           industry leadership simulations, and video perspectives on leadership from some of
           the nation’s top workforce leaders.
           (https://enhancingworkforceleadership.workforce3one.org/page/home)

       •   Workforce3One is an online interactive communications and learning platform
           designed to build the capacity of the workforce investment system. Members include
           the public workforce system and its strategic partners, such as employers, Federal
           agencies, community- and faith-based organizations, and educators. It houses over
           4,000 resources, including webinars highlighting promising practices and online
           communities of practice. (www.workforce3one.org)

       •   mySkills myFuture helps dislocated workers and career changers to explore identify
           new occupations which utilize similar skills to other positions they have held.
           (www.myskillsmyfuture.org)

       •   CareerOneStop includes tools to help job seekers explore careers, investigate salary
           and benefit information, research education and training opportunities, plan a job
           search and browse job sites, write and improve resumes and cover letters, prepare for
           a job interview, and search for jobs. In addition, the CareerOneStop Web site
           includes the America’s Service Locator tool that allows jobseekers to locate one of
           the nearly 3,000 American Job Centers nationwide. (www.careeronestop.org,
           www.servicelocator.org)

      •   MyNextMove is an interactive tool for jobseekers and students to learn more about
          their career options. The site has tasks, skills, and salary information for over 900
          different careers. Users can find careers through keyword search; by browsing
          industries that employ different types of workers; or through the O*NET Interest
          Profiler, a tool that offers personalized career suggestions based on a person's
          interests and level of work experience. (www.mynextmove.org)

      •   MyNextMove for Veterans allows veterans to enter a military occupation code and
          explore civilian jobs that require similar skills. It connects veterans to local jobs and
          information on where they can get the training necessary to be hired.
          (www.mynextmove.org/vets)

      •   The Workforce Innovation Forum invites the workforce system and its partners in
          government, business, education, and human services to explore and discuss new
          ways to govern, invest and manage funds, and deliver services. Its goal is to work
          together as a community to identify transformative, innovative ideas that will lead to
          measurable improvements in workforce program outcomes. To view the forum, go to
          https://innovation.workforce3one.org.
      •   The Disability and Employment Community of Practice at
          http://disability.workforce3one.org provides a wide range of promising practices,
          successful strategies and model service delivery examples to help states and local
          areas improve employment outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities.

      •   The “Unemployment Insurance and Workforce System Connectivity Workgroup
          Final Report” contains the final recommendations of a national workgroup of federal,
          state and local workforce system leaders, convened by ETA, the National Association
          of State Workforce Agencies' Center for Employment Security Education and
          Research and the Information Technology Support Center, to develop a vision
          statement for improving the UI and workforce systems' connection and integration
          and addressed approaches for serving UI claimants as a key customer of the
          workforce investment system. Read the report here:
          https://www.workforce3one.org/view/4011107031158575200/info.


Enhancing Jobseeker Competitiveness

      •   ETA has recently released the new Career Pathways Toolkit to help state and local
          workforce teams build partnerships, connect with employers, clarify roles and
          responsibilities, design career pathways programs, identify funding sources, and align
          policies and programs. (https://www.learnwork.workforce3one.org/)

      •   The Department’s Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) provides industry
          competency models that describe the skills necessary to educate and train a globally
          competitive workforce. The CMC provides employer-validated industry competency
          models for nearly 20 industries/sectors, and tools to help employers in other

          industries build custom training models. The clearinghouse can be found at
          www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel.

      •   TheWorkforce Credentials Information Center is housed on the CareerOneStop Web
          site. The web portal includes comprehensive information on certifications, licenses,
          apprenticeships, military resources and business resources. (www.careeronestop.org)
          Specific credentials can also be viewed using the CareerOneStop Certification Finder
          tool at http://www.acinet.org/certifications_new/default.aspx.

      •   Learn more about the efforts of community organizations, worker centers, religious
          institutions, and non-profit organizations committed to helping all Americans succeed
          in the labor market at the DOL Partnerships Community of Practice Web site. Many
          of these organizations can help with the provision of workforce supports and wrap-
          around services for the unemployed. The Partnerships Community of Practice is
          managed by the Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood
          Partnerships. (www.partnerships.workforce3one.org)

      •   The Social Jobs Partnership was launched in October 2011 by DOL, employers, and
          Facebook, Inc. to better connect jobseekers to employers using various social media
          tools. More information about can be found at http://www.facebook.com/socialjobs.

      •   Job Clubs provide group counseling and networking opportunities for the
          unemployed and underemployed. The Department helps link Job Clubs across the
          country with each other and other important resources. More information is available
          at www.dol.gov/jobclubs.

      •   The Department’s Registered Apprenticeship Community of Practice, which houses a
          wealth of information on strategies and resources to implement programs can be
          found at https://21stcenturyapprenticeship.workforce3one.org/page/home.

      •   The Department recently awarded nearly $500 million in its first round of Trade
          Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grants. These grants
          will enable community colleges, employers and other partners to prepare job
          candidates, through innovative training programs, for new careers in high-wage, high-
          skills fields, including advanced manufacturing, transportation, health care and STEM
          occupations. More information can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/taaccct.

      •   Building the Next Generation On-the-Job Training Toolkit, produced by ETA, can be
          downloaded to provide state workforce agencies and local OJT providers with
          customizable templates and forms to implement new programs. The toolkit can be
          found at www.ojttoolkit.workforce3one.org/page/home.

Meeting Dual Customer Needs

      •   The Business Services Leadership Web site houses tools designed specifically for
          Business Service Representatives (BSRs) to engage businesses and deliver services,

    as well as information on understanding labor market information, measuring results,
    exploring social media outlets, and more. Built from the national BSR training
    conference, this Web site contains all the information and materials that BSRs need to
    become more effective in partnering with and serving their business customers. The
    tools are located at http://businessengagement.workforce3one.org/.

•   State and local workforce areas can learn about detailed labor market information by
    using the Labor Market Information Center, housed at CareerOneStop.org. Labor
    market information, in addition to occupational wage data can be viewed at
    http://www.careeronestop.org/lmi/LMIHome.asp.

•   Additionally, ETA recently released its Translating LMI into Service Delivery e-
    Learning training series in order to encourage increased use of LMI, workforce
    information, and economic analyses to improve workforce development decision-
    making. All e-Learning training modules and associated supporting materials,
    including slide shows, implementation instructions, videos, user guides, study aides,
    and quizzes can be found on the LMI Win-Win Network Community of Practice at
    https://winwin.workforce3one.org/page/resources/1001111558627793664.

•   The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report in January 2012
    entitled, “Innovative Collaborations between Workforce Boards and Employers
    Helped Meet Local Needs.” The report positively highlighted the efforts of 14 local
    workforce boards to effectively meet the needs of multiple employers across industry
    sectors, such as healthcare and manufacturing. Six common factors were cited in the
    success of these boards: a focus on urgent employer needs; leadership; leveraging
    resources; employer-responsive services; minimizing administrative burden; and
    demonstrating results. The report can be accessed at
    http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-97.

•   The CareerOneStop Business and Human Resources Web site offers easy access to
    the wide range of services and resources designed to meet business needs. Businesses
    can learn how to use the workforce system to recruit skilled workers, access
    government incentives, tax credits, and assistance, avert layoffs, and more. It is
    located at www.careeronestop.org/employers/employers.asp.