To inform the workforce investment system of: 1)a conference sponsored by the United States Department of Education`s Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA) and the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation to enhance the transition delivery system (from education to employment) for youth with disabilities and, (2) the request for proposals that may be presendted at the conference.

To remind State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) that information sufficient to identify unemployment insurance claimants must be provided to employers in order to permit them to participate in claims processes related to their former employees.

To issue fringe benefits guidelines for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).

To inform states and grantees of the Employment and Training Administration`s (ETA) revised policy on common performance measures for Federal job training and employment programs, and rescind Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 15-03.

To inform states of the guidelines for negotiating PY 2005 and PY 2006 WIA title 1B performance and customer satisfaction goals. The negotiated performance goals for these two program years will be included in the WIA and Wagner-Peyser Act State Plans, which are due to ETA by May 31, 2005.

To delineate requirements for the PY 2005 State Senior Employment Services Coordination Plan (State Plan).

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is pleased to announce the 2005 Recognition of Excellence (ROE) on behalf of the nation's workforce investment system.

To announce Workforce Innovations 2005: A Declaration of Innovation to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 11 - 13, 2005

To transmit the Participant Eligibility Guidance for participation in the National Farmworker Jobs Program(NFJP) and the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker(MSFW) Youth Program under Section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

provide expanded Department of Homeland Security FICs and revise FIC 401.

To provide State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) with additional information on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Information Technology (IT) security guidelines and a new version of the software tool to conduct a security self-assessment of unemployment insurance (UI) computer systems.

To provide guidance to state workforce agencies (SWAs) responsible for management of the WOTC and WtWTC from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005, and to provide state allotments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005.

To inform states that OMB has approved the extension of data collection to support the BAM Program.

To provide states and outlying areas with FY 2005 Congressional Rescissions for the WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker programs; WIA Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker Program, and Youth Activities allotments for PY 2005; additional PY 2005 WIA Section 173(e) funds for eligible states; preliminary allotments for PY 2005 public Employment Service (ES) activities, as required by Section 6(b)(5) of the Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended; Reemployment Services and Workforce Information Grants for PY 2005; and Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Welfare-to-Work (W-t-W) Tax Credit allotments for FY 2005.

To inform states that OMB has approved the extension of data collection to support the Benefits Timeliness and Quality (BTQ) program.

To announce the release and availability of the ETA Occasional Paper 2005-01: The Workforce Investment Act in Eight States. The research was designed to enhance understanding of the way service delivery under the Workforce Investment Act has been operating across the country.

To clarify the Department of Labor policy regarding Workforce Investment Act Dislocated Worker Formula Grant-funded services for two populations: (1)military service members (non-retirees) and (2)military spouses.

To issue the revised federal poverty guidelines for the Senior Community Service Employment Program

To transmit to the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) the IRS revenue ruling on the statutory definition for the "Qualified IV-A Recipient" target group as it relates to the period of time for receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) under the WOTC and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credits (WtWTCs) and provide guidance on its implementation.

To inform the workforce investment system of two new web-based tools for state planning guidance and negotiation processes that analyzes Workforce Investment Act (WIA) performance management data.