American Job Center network announcement

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_36_11.Acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                Workforce System
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                           CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                       OWI
             Washington, D.C. 20210                      DATE
                                                         June 14, 2012


ADVISORY:         TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 36-11

TO:               STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                  STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
                  STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD CHAIRS
                  AND DIRECTORS
                  AMERICAN JOB CENTER and ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER
                  MANAGERS
                  ALL COMPETITIVE GRANTEES

FROM:             JANE OATES /s/
                  Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:          Announcement of American Job Center Network


1. Purpose. To announce the American Job Center network, a unifying name and brand that
   identifies virtual and in-person publicly-funded workforce development services as part of a
   single network. In order to increase jobseeker and employer awareness of workforce
   development resources available across the country, the Department of Labor Employment
   and Training Administration (ETA) strongly encourages states and local workforce
   investment areas to implement the American Job Center brand in accordance with state plans.

   This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) describes the ways ETA is using
   the brand, and some of the ways that states and local workforce investment areas may begin
   using the American Job Center brand immediately. This TEGL strongly encourages the use
   of the American Job Center brand. In the future, the Department intends to work closely
   with states and localities to move to a requirement to use the brand.

2. Background. Employers are adding jobs to the economy, and more unemployed or
   underemployed Americans are returning to the workforce in earnest to jumpstart their
   careers. In order to facilitate better connections between employers and job seekers, the
   workforce investment system needs to increase significantly the number of employers and
   jobseekers who are familiar with One-Stop Career Centers and their services. These services
   can get people to work and get employers the workers they need.


 RESCISSIONS                                            EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                   Continuing

                                               -2-


   In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for a streamlined re-employment
   system to help unemployed jobseekers return to work. A key part of this effort is to raise
   awareness of Federal resources available to the public by visually identifying these in-person
   and virtual employment resources under a single recognizable identity — the American Job
   Center network. Each year, 20 million individuals tap into existing workforce system
   resources, but there are millions more who could benefit from being able to reliably find the
   services they need to succeed in today’s economy. Currently, names for One-Stop Career
   Centers vary from state to state, or even from town to town, and online Federal, state and
   local tools are spread across many Web sites with different names. Jobseekers may not
   realize that these resources are available to connect them to training and other workforce
   development supports. For example, veterans transitioning to civilian life might look for a
   One-Stop Career Center, but cannot find anything nearby with that name. Businesses that are
   well-connected to the workforce system in one state may not be aware that the same services
   are available to them elsewhere, under a different name. Identifying One-Stop Career
   Centers as American Job Centers, and improving partnerships with grantees and other
   workforce services, is designed to make it easier for workers and businesses to find and
   access the help and services the workforce system provides in their communities, whether it’s
   provided by states, by local areas, or by competitive grantees.

   ETA is taking initial steps now to establish a well-known unified brand, the American Job
   Center brand, to make it easier for workers and businesses to find and use One-Stop Career
   Centers. The President’s Budget includes additional resources to build on this effort. These
   funds will be used to expand access to workforce services in more physical locations, extend
   American Job Center business hours, and expand virtual services available in national
   electronic tools.

3. American Job Center Network Integrated Web Resources. The Department of Labor
   already hosts several powerful online tools to help jobseekers, including skill transferability
   tools, career exploration tools, skill assessments, credential listings, and job openings, but
   they are not all easy to find. A new, integrated online American Job Center Web site at
   www.jobcenter.usa.gov will provide a single online point of access to resources, improved
   navigation, and greater name recognition, all oriented around the needs of an individual or a
   business. More details on this new Web site will be released in the next few weeks. This
   online tool will mean 24-7 access to key information that will help individuals find jobs,
   identify training programs, and tap into resources that will help them gain skills in critical
   and growth industries. The President’s Budget requests funds to further upgrade the online
   American Job Center Web site’s functionality with convenient, personalized virtual services,
   greater interactivity, and real-time communication.

4. Finding American Job Centers and In-Person Services. The implementation of the
   American Job Center brand will help individuals better locate and access in-person services
   such as job search assistance and career guidance. Jobseekers and employers can continue to
   access in-person services through existing One-Stop Career Centers (the new American Job
   Centers), affiliates, and other access points. Through www.servicelocator.org, which will
   also be available through the American Job Center Web site www.jobcenter.usa.gov, ETA
   provides information on the locations and services of the network of American Job Centers,

                                              -3-


   where jobseekers can receive career counseling, skill assessments, labor market information,
   job search assistance, help filing for unemployment insurance, and assistance in finding
   financial aid, education and training programs. A single, toll free helpline, 1-877-US2-
   JOBS, is also part of the American Job Center network. No matter where a jobseeker or
   business is located, a single phone call can answer questions on topics such as finding jobs,
   training, employer services, filing for unemployment insurance, and locating brick-and-
   mortar American Job Centers and related support services and programs.

5. American Job Center Connections with ETA-Funded Competitive Grants. In order to
   increase awareness of the network of workforce development programs, and to increase
   coordination of the federally-funded resources available to job-seekers and businesses, ETA
   expects that competitively funded ETA grants will identify their grant-funded activities to the
   appropriate representative of their local American Job Center, and report collaboration in
   quarterly progress reports where feasible. ETA program offices will provide further
   guidance on this quarterly reporting. The goal of this effort is to ensure that, when
   appropriate, these services can be accessed more easily by eligible participants being served
   through other parts of the workforce development system.

6. The American Job Center Logo for States. State WIA grantees are strongly encouraged to
   implement voluntarily the use of the American Job Center brand, and adoption of this brand
   is the strongly preferred approach. However, states also have the option to co-brand their
   virtual and in-person resources as “a proud partner of the American Job Center network.”
   When exercising this co-branding option, states should feature the American Job Center
   brand as prominently as their own logos and other branding. States have broad authority to
   determine where the brand will be used, and are permitted to set statewide policies that
   mandate the use of the brand throughout the state. For instance, states can immediately begin
   using the name American Job Center for their One-Stop Career Centers, and for the activities
   delivered in American Job Centers, including Wagner-Peyser Act and Workforce Investment
   Act Adult, Youth, or Dislocated Worker activities.

   States can determine if and where they will use the brand, but should inform ETA of their
   decisions. States will need to indicate whether or not they intend to implement the American
   Job Center brand, and if implementing, will need to describe how the brand will be used,
   including implementation plans, whether the state will require local workforce investment
   boards to use the brand, and related budgets and schedules. States will indicate their
   intention to use the brand and their plans for using the brand in the Program Year 2012 State
   Workforce Plans that include the Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser programs,
   under instructions that will be provided in upcoming guidance.

7. The American Job Center Logo for Local Workforce Investment Boards. While some
   states might require local workforce investment boards to use the American Job Center
   brand, even in states that do not require branding, local workforce investment boards are
   strongly encouraged to adopt the American Job Center brand in their local workforce
   investment area, and this is the preferred approach. Local workforce investment boards can
   immediately begin using the name American Job Center for their One-Stop Career Centers,
   and for the activities delivered in American Job Centers, including Wagner-Peyser and

                                              -4-


   Workforce Investment Act Adult, Youth, or Dislocated Worker activities. Local workforce
   investment boards may also opt to co-brand their virtual and in-person resources, under the
   same conditions as for states.

8. Outreach and Use of Logo. An outreach toolkit is attached for planning and
   implementation for this branding effort. State workforce agencies ready to immediately
   begin using the American Job Center brand can use the attached toolkit in outreach materials,
   Web sites, and other communications. The logos are appropriate anywhere in-person or
   virtual services are available, including participant One-Stop Career Centers, participant or
   employer outreach materials or activities, or Web sites. The toolkit attached to this TEGL is
   also available at www.dol.gov/ajc.

   The use of logos will be governed by terms and conditions that are available with the online
   toolkit at www.dol.gov/ajc. These terms and conditions are subject to change. As described
   in the terms and conditions, select organizations have an “automatic” license to use the logo,
   including state workforce agencies, state workforce investment boards, and local workforce
   investment boards.

   In planning and executing outreach as part of the American Job Center network, states and
   local workforce investment boards may use funds for program and employer outreach, or for
   recruitment and public relations purposes, directly related to grant activities as specified in
   the grant’s Statement of Work. Some examples of allowable outreach and recruitment
   activities that may be paid for with grant funds include incorporation of the logo in a
   grantee’s Web site presence, participant recruitment materials, and employer recruitment
   materials. The definition of advertising and public relations and the conditions for charging
   these costs may be found in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Cost Principles at
   2 CFR Part 225, Appendix B, # 1 for state and local governments or 2 CFR Part 230,
   Appendix B, # 1 for non-profit organizations. The only allowable costs for any branding,
   advertising or public relations are those costs that meet the conditions of the Cost Principles
   and support allowable public relations activities specifically related to the grant and its
   authorizing legislation. In addition, please note that any materials developed with grant
   funds and disseminated to the public must acknowledge the Federal funding source.

9. Requested Actions. We request that Governors, local chief elected officials, and state and
   local workforce investment boards begin to implement the American Job Center awareness
   initiative to identify their One-Stop Career Centers as American Job Centers or, as a less
   preferred option, as part of the American Job Center network. We request that states and
   local workforce investment boards discontinue any remaining use of the national American
   Workforce Network brand.

10. Inquiries. Please direct inquiries to the appropriate regional office, or e-mail
    [email protected]. Questions received about the American Job Center brand will be used
    to inform future guidance.

                                              -5-


11. Attachment. Please find attached an outreach toolkit to help identify One-Stop Career
    Centers, Web sites, and service locations as American Job Centers. The outreach toolkit is
    also available at www.dol.gov/ajc.

Attachment 1: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_36_11.Att.pdf

American Job Center - Graphics Toolkit
for Media
The American Job Center network is a unifying name and brand that identifies online and in-
person workforce development services as part of a single network. We request that states
and local areas use the attached toolkit to proactively identify One-Stop Career Centers as
“American Job Centers” in outreach materials, Web sites, and other communications. States
and local areas may alternatively use “a proud partner of the American Job Center network,”
for physical One-Stop Career Centers or websites. The toolkit can be used as an easy way for
jobseekers and employers to locate, recognize and access the workforce development
services available, and are appropriate for physical One-Stop Career Centers or websites.

Files Available for Download
Logo (for web and print)
Color: .eps / .jpg / .png / .tif


B&W: .eps / .jpg / .png / .tif


Web Banners

Horizontal: 468 x 60 / 728 x 90


Stacked: 468 x 60 / 728 x 90

Web Buttons

Horizontal: 120 x 60 / 120 x 90 / 125 x 125


Stacked: 120 x 60 / 120 x 90 / 125 x 125


Poster (scalable to size)


.doc / .jpg / .pdf / .psd

ajc-only / partner / instruction sheet