NASWA Hosts Administrators and Assistant Secretary Oats

On Thursday, March 22, 2012, NASWA hosted a conference call with Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane Oates and over 200 State Administrators and NASWA staff. The call served as a forum for Assistant Secretary Oates to explain the proposed Universal Displaced Worker program and the system rebranding initiative, including with the American Job Center Network proposed in the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Budget.
The Universal Displaced Worker (UDW) program would combine the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Dislocated Worker program. The Assistant Secretary said the new program would increase the menu of reemployment services to all dislocated workers, regardless of circumstances and serve nearly one million workers per year. Assistant Secretary Oates said the system rebranding proposal can be implemented through Executive Order and the implementation of the Universal Displaced Worker program would require Congressional action.

Two issues raised by administrators during the conference call focused on the classification of long-term unemployed and whether these workers would be eligible for the UDW program and what sort of carryover from TAA and WIA would be evident in the program. In regard to the long-term unemployed, Ms. Oates said ETA would work to create a standard definition for dislocated worker that would be responsive in all types of labor markets. The Assistant Secretary explained the American Job Center Network, is an effort by the Administration to address the lack of consistency among state workforce services brands that makes it difficult sometimes for employers and workers to locate resources. Assistant Secretary Oates said this initiative involves the creation of a new website and Jobcenter.USA.gov, to serve as a single point of access for employers looking to hire and workers seeking employment.

Ms. Oates assured administrators, the efforts by the Department of Labor are not meant to override existing state brands; rather USDOL is requesting states use the taglinepart of the American Job Center Network", so workers and employers know they can receive the same services at any One Stop Career Center regardless of state. Ms. Oates also acknowledged the great services provided through state job banks supported through the National Labor Exchange and agreed to work with states, NASWA and DirectEmployers in making it part of Jobcenter.USA.gov.

Job Training and Reemployment Services Plan

The Obama Administration released details of the President’s plan to reform job training and employment services for workers affected by the Great Recession. The proposed initiatives were outlined in a White House press statement calling for the enactment of the Universal Displaced Worker Program (UDWP) and implementation of an American Job Center Network.

As a co-sponsor of the One Away Campaign for elder economic security, Goodwill Industries International is calling on Congress to protect and strengthen the Older Americans Act (OAA). Goodwill and the co-sponsors of the One Away Campaign recognize that today's older workers have a great need for programs funded by the OAA, as the unemployment rate for seniors has reached record high levels, with one in three older Americans currently economically insecure.

Passed in 1965, OAA is the major national vehicle for the organization and delivery of social services to seniors, including authorization of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) -- the only federal program designed to prepare older workers for the modern labor market. Through SCSEP, Goodwill matches older workers with nonprofits or public agencies that can provide on-the-job training opportunities, then assists them with transitioning into regular employment. Since 2006, Goodwill has served more than 6,000 seniors through SCSEP, helping more than 1,600 find unsubsidized employment.

Secretary of Labor Testifies

U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Secretary Hilda Solis testified Wednesday, March 14th before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies regarding the President’s proposed FY 2013 budget. The Secretary described the impact sequestration, an across the board cut slated to affect all government programs in January 2013.  
She noted that sequestration would reduce USDOL’s discretionary spending anywhere from 7.8 to 9.1 percent according to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates. Secretary Solis said that $500 million dollars would be cut for job training and employment services, reducing services to an additional 1.7 million displaced workers that are currently being served. In addition, programs administered by the Veterans Employment and Training Service, would be cut by roughly $13 million. She advised the committee these cuts would come at exactly the wrong time as millions are still unemployed and urged Congress to work to avoid sequestration, finding sustainable budget compromise that would prevent these cuts from taking place.

IAWP Awards Judging

I just returned from St. Louis where the IAWP Awards Judging Team met for the annual judging of the IAWP individual, group and chapter awards.  It was a privilege to work with Mikell Fryer, Chapter Development Chair and the rest of the team.  We saw some very good award entries, although I would have liked to see more chapters submit awards.

Many workforce agencies don't have a formal awards program, so this is a niche where IAWP can become a valuable asset to an agency.  If your agency doesn't have a formal awards program, or even if it does, approach your director/commissioner or even your immediate supervisor to see if they will partner with IAWP for an awards program in your state.

NASWA turns 75

The National Association of State Workforce Agencies has published a history of the association titled

"A History of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies: From the New Deal to the Twenty-First Century."   This publication gives insights into the birth of the organization, beginning when representatives from four states met in New York City on December 28, 1935, along with the Chairman of the Social Security Board and other Board officials, to discuss implementation of the Social Security Act.

Congratulations to NASWA for representing the collective views of state workforce agencies and for providing a forum for interstate cooperation!  

Labor Certification for Guest Workers

The Department of Labor published a notice in the Federal Register on Friday, March 2, publicizing dates for public meetings on the amendments to regulations governing the certification of temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment.

The final regulations, published February 21, also created new regulations allowing for enhanced enforcement under the H-2B program requirements, and are scheduled to become effective on April 23, 2012. 

In advance of that effective date, the DOL has scheduled three webinars and one public briefing to educate interested parties on changes to the H-2B program made by the H-2B Final Rule, and on ways to apply for H-2B temporary labor certifications under the new regulations. The DOL hopes that the meetings will take place in March and early April, 2012, with a sole in-person briefing to be held at DOL in Washington, D.C. While the dates of informational sessions are subject to change and/or cancellation without further notice in the Federal Register, the DOL will post any changes related to the webinars on the Office of Foreign Labor Certification website http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/, and will notify registered participants of any changes to the in-person briefing. Each webinar is limited to 200 concurrent participants, and participation will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will be able to log in approximately 30 minutes prior to the official start of the webinar.

Webinars are currently scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 14, from 1:30 PM–4:00 PM; on Tuesday, March 20, from 1:30 PM–4:00 PM; and on Tuesday, March 27, from 1:30 PM–4:00 PM. The in-person briefing is scheduled for April 17, from 10:00 AM–3.00 PM. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.

America's Youth Struggling

As the nation continues to recover from the deepest recession since the Great Depression, American youth are struggling to get the work experience they need for jobs of the future.

According to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics:

48.8 percent of youth between the ages of 16-24 were employed in July, the month when youth employment usually peaks. This is significantly lower than the 59.2 percent of youth who were employed five years ago and 63.3 percent of youth who were employed 10 years ago.

Minority youth had an especially difficult time finding employment this past summer. Only 34.6 percent of African American youth and 42.9 percent of Hispanic youth had a job this past July.

Learn more about how summer jobs can make an impact in your community

Proposal to Require UI Claimants to Volunteer

Republicans in the U.S. Senate want the long-term unemployed to volunteer for 20 hours a week in order to receive unemployment insurance.  A bill introduced Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) would also require claimants drawing benefits six months or longer to search for work at least 20 hours a week. 

Senator Burr believes that engagement in volunteer service will encourage unemployed workers to maintain job skills, marketability, and a sense of self-worth while providing for the betterment of their communities.  He further believes that the active job search requirement will enhance the integrity of the unemployment system and its ability to identify and serve those most in need.

Republicans on the negotiating committee are already pushing for a host of unemployment reforms, including allowing states to drug test workers applying for benefits and denying aid to people who don't have high school diplomas.  Seventeen other senate Republicans signed on to the bill. 

Several state legislatures have mulled proposals to require people receiving unemployment benefits to do volunteer work. At least a dozen have pushed drug testing for the jobless. Federal law says qualified unemployment claimants can only be denied benefits for fraud or reasons related to their job loss and this proposal would change that. 

Labor Secretary Solis Comments on Workforce Investment Report

The Government Accountability Office released its report titled Workforce Investment Act: Innovative Collaborations Between Workforce Boards and Employers Helped Meet Local Needs.

For Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis comments on the report please see http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/opa/OPA20120340.htm.