Labor Day

As I approach this Labor Weekend, I am thinking about how fortunate I have been to part of the workforce development system for 33 years now.  In that many years, I have seen many workforce programs come and go and IAWP has allowed me to keep up to date with current practices and see the big picture of the workforce system. 

The U.S. Department of Labor's website at http://www.dol.gov/laborday/ is full of information, history and pictures about Labor Day.  Please be sure to visit it.

As a special treat for me, my granddaughter Lillian turns one year old on Labor Day, so my entire family will be together celebrating her birthday.  I wish you and your family a safe and fun-filled day.

Secretary Solis Chat

Every year, on the first Monday in September, we honor the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

In advance of Labor Day 2012, Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis will host a live Twitter chat at 2 p.m. EDT, Thursday, August 30.

Join the conversation by using the hashtag #LaborDay2012 or tweet questions in advance to @HildaSolisDOL.

Changes to TAP

The Obama Administration announced major changes to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) which was established to meet the needs of separating military service members during their period of transition into civilian life by offering job-search assistance and other related services.

Currently the program includes a three-day workshop where transitioning service members learn about job searches, career decision-making, current occupational and labor market conditions and effective interviewing techniques.

During a joint hearing House Committees on Veterans Affairs and the Armed Services, Committee members agreed that while expanding transition sessions from three days to five days demonstrated a step in the right direction, military members still should receive greater assistance.The transition program is altered is several key areas. The program will no longer be called the "Transition Assistance Program", it will now be known as "Transition GPS". Key programmatic changes include:

• Individualized Assessments and Counseling: Service members will meet one on one with specialists to complete needs and goals assessments and also receive individualized educational and job training resources specific to the interests of a transitioning service member.
• Core and Career Specific Curriculum: Transition GPS will consist of a five-day core curriculum, which all service members will complete. The Transition GPS program will be comprised of a redesigned employment workshop, as well as a Military Occupational Code Crosswalk to assist service members to translate their military experience to comparable civilian skills and occupations. Service members will also have the option of participating in two additional days of career-specific training on three tracks: a higher education track for those pursuing college degrees, a technical and skills training track for those looking to gain technical training or industry licenses and credentials and an entrepreneurship track for those members wanting to start a business.
• Continuous Transition Training: The new transition program will provide career readiness earlier in the tenure of a service member’s career in the military by providing access to resources to build skills or gain credentials while still in the military.

Transition GPS is planned to be implemented with all the programmatic changes announced this week by the end of 2013 throughout all branches of the military.

August 14, 1935

Tuesday morning, August 14, 2012, a National Birthday Party for Social Security was held at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.  Lynn Bassanese, acting library director, welcomed a gathering of visitors and stressed the vital role Social Security has played in the lives of senior citizens once they no longer are earning a paycheck.  She talked about the prospect faced by such seniors before FDR signed the Social Security Act into law Aug. 14, 1935.  “They were dependent upon family, savings and charity to survive,” Bassanese said.  Since 1935, the program has provided not only old-age pensions, but unemployment insurance, guaranteed income for those unable to work due to disabilities and financial aid to parents with dependent children.  Christopher Breiseth, past president of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, said Social Security, one of FDR’s New Deal programs, established a special bond between the American people and their government in Washington.  “The people are what matter to government, and government should aim to provide all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life,” he said.

ODEP Announcement

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announced the availability of a $1.1 million grant to fund a cooperative agreement to manage and operate the National Technical Assistance and Demonstration Center on Preparing Youth with Disabilities for Employment. The center will build capacity within and across youth service delivery systems to improve employment and postsecondary education outcomes for youth with disabilities.

The center will continue to build upon ODEP's previous technical assistance efforts. It will provide technical assistance, training and information to organizations operating youth programs funded by the Workforce Investment Act, as well as current and former Labor Department grantees, to aid them in integrating evidence-based, effective practices for improving transition results for young people with disabilities who are enrolled in their programs.

The center will have three areas of focus: career exploration, management and planning; youth development and leadership; and professional development. Applicants must recognize that youth, families, educators, workforce professionals and other stakeholders need to work together to increase employment expectations for youth with disabilities.