Grants to Provide Job Training to Seniors

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $260 million in grants to 15 nonprofit organizations across the country to provide critical job training and related services through Senior Community Service Employment Program jobs.

"The federal grants announced today will provide job training to enhance low-income seniors' employment opportunities and contribute millions of community service hours to nonprofit and civic organizations throughout the country," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "These organizations are crucial partners in serving seniors who face challenges in re-entering the workforce and attaining economic stability."

Sixteen one-year grants are being made to 15 national nonprofit organizations through the program's general funds or funds set aside by statute to serve Native Americans or Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. The grants will support more than 35,000 positions. In addition, state and territorial grantees that previously received funding through this program will continue to support more than 10,000 positions.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program, authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act, is the only federally sponsored employment and training program targeted specifically to unemployed, low-income individuals age 55 and older. Individuals served by the grants receive training through part-time, service-oriented positions in their communities while earning the highest of the federal, state or local minimum wage. The program has dual goals of promoting community service and helping participants achieve economic self-sufficiency by guiding them into unsubsidized employment, where appropriate. Program participants provide more than 48 million hours of community service to public agencies and nonprofit organizations annually.

Some Good News

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Resources and Education approved a fiscal year 2013 funding bill on July 18th that provides funding for workforce programs at about fiscal 2012 levels. This is a very positive development as it marks the first time in several years when workforce programs have not been slated for elimination or consolidation. WIA Adult, Youth and Dislocated Workers were all funded at levels requested by the President for fiscal 2013.

IAWP Announcements

• Please ensure that your chapter has completed and returned this Committee Assignments and Association Directory Listings form for the 2012-13 administrative year, to the IAWP Administrative Office.

• Please be sure to order your 2013 Centennial Calendar and help support the 100th anniversary celebration.  Calendars cost $10.

• The Centennial pin is now available to order.  The cost is $10 through the end of 2012. Starting in 2013, cost will go up to $15 per pin, so place your order now!

• The directory listing form along with the calendar and pin order forms can be found in the July issue of the Countdown on the IAWP website under the "Member Only" section.

Workforce Training System Reform

On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, the Center for American Progress (CAP) held a forum to announce the publication of a new report, "Let’s Get Serious About Our Nation’s Human Capital: A Plan to Reform the U.S. Workforce Training System." The June 2012 publication is authored by Stephen Steigleder and Louis Soares; funding support was provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The report recommends replacing the current workforce and training system with a new system that provides most current workforce funding to the U.S. Department of Education for block grants under "Workforce Investment Bank," which would cover all aspects of workforce training. The Workforce Investment Bank would focus exclusively on developing more than 2.5 million skilled workers at all levels and would be funded at $10 billion a year. It would include three programs: College for Working Adults ($4.5 billion), Career Pathways for Working Adults ($5 billion), and Targeted Communities Workforce Investment Fund ($.5 billion). The majority of the funds would be allocated to regional authorities, which would be responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing public-private partnerships.

The U.S. Department of Labor would oversee the "Career Navigation System," which would support the existing network of 2,800 One-Stop Career Centers, basically to provide core and intensive services. The Career Navigation System would be funded at $2.225 billion per year. According to the report, "The Department of Labor would support these brick-and-mortar centers by developing and maintaining online tools and infrastructure that would be available to all career navigation centers."

The current U.S. Department of Labor funds pooled into these block grants would include: Employment Service; WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, Innovation Fund; Office of Apprenticeship, and Women in Apprenticeship; Integration of ex-offenders; Indian and Native American programs; Migrant and seasonal farmworkers; Veterans Employment and Training Service; pilots, demonstrations and research; Workforce Data Quality Initiative; and evaluation. The proposal would pool U.S. Department of Education funds - Adult Education, Perkins Career and Technical Education, Tribal Vocational/Technical Institutions, and Employment opportunity centers – and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and training program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The report recommends a regional governance structure, substituting regional authorities for local workforce investment boards. The report did not mention a role for the states; however, Mr. Steigleder indicated there should be a role for the states.

Public Service Announcements

The U.S. Department of Labor has made available public service announcements, in video and audio formats featuring Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, urging unemployed veterans to apply for benefits through the Veteran Retraining Assistance Program. Both announcements are 46 seconds.

The new program targets unemployed veterans between the ages of 35 and 60, and will cover education costs related to training in high-demand jobs. Qualifying veterans can receive up to 12 months of assistance equal to the full-time Montgomery GI Bill active duty rate, currently $1,473 per month. Veterans can apply on a first-come, first-served basis for training programs that begin on or after July 1, 2012. Assistance available through this program will end on March 31, 2014.

Access the PSAs at http://www.dol.gov/dol/media/webcast/20120620-solis-vets-psa/index.htm.

Happy Fourth of July

As we celebrate our freedom, let us not forget to thank all those who have fought for the country to give us this day.  Have a Happy Independence day with your family and friends.