The public workforce system should take proactive steps to help the unemployed and especially the long-term unemployed return to work. As outlined in the accompanying Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 12-14: Promising Practices and Resources for Addressing Long-Term Unemployment,¹ a number of employers, employer organizations, and workforce agencies have implemented or pledged to implement specific actions, policies, and/or services for addressing the unique barriers to employment facing many of the long-term unemployed. One of these barriers, which is the subject of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL), is the practice among some employers to exclude unemployed and especially long-term unemployed individuals from hiring consideration. The purpose of this TEGL is to provide information to the public workforce system and other entities (including the "covered entities" listed above) that receive federal financial assistance to operate job banks, about the practice of some employers to exclude unemployed persons from hiring consideration, and to provide tools to educate employers about the practical and legal drawbacks of this practice. This guidance is being issued by the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), in conjunction with the Civil Rights Center (CRC).

To provide information to State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) about sequestration in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 and how the Department of Labor (Department) would apply sequestration to mandatory Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs for FY 2015.

To respond to questions from state workforce agencies and clarify states' responsibilities related to the TAAEA amendments and their effect on the CWC program.

To provide guidance about permissible drug testing of certain unemployment compensation (UC) applicants.

To provide guidance to the states regarding the content of the WIA Annual Report Narrative, including: strategies for serving veterans, acceptable approaches to fulfilling the customer satisfaction requirements and the procedures for submission of the report to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The Annual Report Narrative is due on Friday, November 14, 2014.

To announce the release and availability of the Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws Effective July 2014.

The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to provide guidance to Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) grantees for modifying unified, integrated, and stand-alone State Plans that were approved in 2012.

To inform Employment and Training Administration (ETA) staff and the public workforce system of, and encourage workforce system participation in, the military services' Capstone activities and other outreach to provide employment services to Transitioning Service Members (TSMs), including eligible National Guard and Reserve members being separated or discharged from active duty.

This notice announces the Survey about the Use of Technical Assistance by State and Local Workforce Systems ("Technical Assistance Survey") and encourages responses from public workforce system representatives who receive the survey. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will survey samples of state workforce agency directors, state unemployment insurance agency directors, local workforce investment board (LWIB) directors, and ETA competitive grantees. The survey will ask about the types of TA available, the manner the TA is accessed, uses of the TA, and actions taken as a result of the TA. This information will contribute to a report on the extent of and type of use of TA in the workforce system.

To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared during the first quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015.

To provide guidance for YouthBuild grantees implementing the "Construction Plus" component of the YouthBuild program, including a synopsis of what it entails and to inform workforce partners of the expansion of the YouthBuild program to include Construction Plus training in addition to construction training.

To notify State Workforce Agencies of the conditions under which EUC administrative funds may be used to pay UI benefits to staff separated as a result of the EUC program expiring on January 1, 2014.

To remind the workforce investment system of data validation and performance reporting requirements and establish associated timelines for submitting reports for the following programs/activities:

• Quarterly participant records, annual reports, and data validation results for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) title IB programs and National Emergency Grants (NEGs);
• Quarterly participant records and data validation results for the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service;
• Quarterly reports for activities authorized under 38 U.S.C. 4103A and 4104 (Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) and Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVER));
• Quarterly reports, participant records, and data validation results for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program;
• Individual participant records for the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP); and
• Individual participant records for the Division of Indian and Native American Program (DINAP).

To advise state workforce agencies of the Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) efforts to: 1) reengineer UI benefits program accountability processes in response to the UI system's needs within the context of available capacity and resources and 2) to advise states of ETA's intent to engage states to gain their input in the reengineering process.

To announce and solicit nominations for the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation (UC) Legislative Seminar.

The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to provide guidance for the use of WIA Youth-funded activities in PY 2014.

To formalize Trade Adjustment Assistance Data Integrity as a required component of quarterly reporting submitted by State Workforce Agencies or agencies designated by Governors as "Cooperating State Agencies" (CSAs or "states") and to establish procedures for corrective action by the Department of Labor (Department) in the event of non-compliance.

To announce a series of Webinars to engage the public in implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (the Workforce Act or the Act). Additionally, the Department has established a Resource Page that contains resource information on the Workforce Act, including implementation timelines and questions and answers.

To initiate the SQSP process, provide supplemental instructions, and define additional requirements for the FY 2015 SQSP.

This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) communicates the vision for an integrated, effective, job-driven workforce system. Further, it: shares the Vice President Joe Biden's job-driven training report, the results of the Vice President's review of Federal job training and education programs; describes the seven key elements of job-driven employment and training programs; provides informational resources; and encourages states and local workforce investment areas, DOL grantees, and strategic partners to integrate these elements in their strategic planning and program operations.