This guidance updates Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 10-16 published December 19, 2016 developed jointly by the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL) and Education (ED) (the Departments). Within ED, the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) will update Program Memorandum (PM) 17-2 and Technical Assistance Circular (TAC) 17-01 respectively. The updated guidance provides clarifying language and corrections to the operating parameters and to the calculations of the numerators and denominators for the WIOA primary indicators of performance.

The purpose of this guidance is to provide sub-regulatory guidance on the requirements set forth in WIOA, related to the implementation and operation of the performance accountability system under section 116 of WIOA and the implementing joint regulations in 20 CFR part 677 and 34 CFR parts 361 and 463. As explained further in this guidance, WIOA requires all States and direct grantees of the Departments to collect and report information on all the participants described in this TEGL.

WIOA, signed into law on July 22, 2014, is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. WIOA supersedes titles I and II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) and amends the Wagner-Peyser Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The WIOA Joint Rule for Unified and Combined State Plans, Performance Accountability, and the One-Stop System Joint Provisions (Joint WIOA Final Rule) was published in the Federal Register on August 19, 2016, at 81 FR 55791, and took effect on October 18, 2016. This guidance is based on the statutory requirements of WIOA, as well as its implementing final regulations.

To transmit the fifth edition of ETA Handbook No. 401, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Reports Handbook.

To correct the timeframe during which the funds will be available for expenditure, which was provided in the last paragraph of Section 6, at the bottom of page 4. The TEGL incorrectly states that the period of expenditure is June 30, 2017 through September 30, 2019. The paragraph should read as follows:

"The period of performance for DW Opportunity Grants is two years, and grant funds will be available for expenditure from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2019. However, the Department reserves the right to provide period of performance extensions beyond this date, as it deems appropriate and necessary, to achieve the purposes of these awards."

To initiate the SQSP process, provide supplemental instructions, and define additional requirements for the FY 2018 SQSP.

To announce the availability of up to $35 million, for Dislocated Worker Opportunity Grants (DW Opportunity Grants) for Program Year 2016, with awards based on an applicant's share of the Civilian Labor Force and unemployment. These grants will enable eligible applicants to serve dislocated workers with career services and training to help them identify and be more competitive for opportunities in growing or high-demand occupations and industries. Goals of these DW Opportunity Grants are to:

a.  Expand opportunities for Dislocated Workers to upgrade skills that lead to employment or industry-recognized credentials in growing or high-demand industries and occupations; and

b.  Address the skill gaps in a state or local area that have been identified by employers in growing or high-demand industries.

To advise State Unemployment Insurance (UI) agencies of the need to conduct background investigations on agency or contract staff that use or plan to use Federal Tax Information (FTI) in the performance of their jobs. This Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirement is designed to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect FTI to the greatest extent possible.

To provide information to states about FY 2017 UI State Administration base resource allocations, general guidelines for resource planning, above-base funding, and SBRs.

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

The purpose of this Training and Employment Notice (TEN) is to inform States that in January 2018, the Federal Employment Data Exchange System (FEDES) will be temporarily suspended while the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) reassesses the feasibility of FEDES.

To provide information about using Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) data to prevent and detect overpayments as a result of beneficiaries receiving concurrent or overlapping Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits, and FECA benefit payments when not allowed under a state's UI law.

To announce a new Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits Operations Self-Assessment Tool for state UI agencies to use in evaluating their UI benefits operations, and to provide the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Employment and Training Administration's (ETA's) guidance to the states on planning for the implementation and use of the tool and reporting of results to ETA.

To provide state workforce agencies with information about:

    a.   Preliminary FY 2018 dollars and staff year base resource planning targets for UI operations to be used in planning and developing State Quality Service Plans (SQSP);
    b.   General guidelines for FY 2018 resource planning; and
    c.   The process used by the U.S. Department of Labor (Department) to allocate base resources among states.

To provide further clarification of the Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) definition of the term credential for national YouthBuild program grantees as well as additional guidance on commonly used construction credentials for YouthBuild participants.

To announce the availability of enhanced tools to support implementation of the My Reemployment Plan (MRP) by providing additional information to workforce professionals and improving jobseekers' access to and user experience with MRP. These tools include a companion video series to the My Reemployment Plan for use by jobseekers and a reference guide for use by workforce professionals providing direct services to job seekers in American Job Centers (AJCs).

To notify State Workforce Agencies about the publication of the updated Complaint/Apparent Violation Form (ETA 8429). (See attachment for the updated Form.)

To assist State Workforce Agencies or agencies designated by Governors as "Cooperating State Agencies" (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as "states") by identifying the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Initial Allocation amounts to states and describing the formula methodology the Department of Labor (Department) uses to calculate these amounts; and to describe the process for states to request Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program reserve funds for Training and Other Activities (TaOA), which includes training, employment and case management services, job search allowances, relocation allowances, and related state administration.

To revise TEGL 23-16 and provide "final" PY 2017 funding allocations for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Section 166, Indian and Native American (INA) Program, Comprehensive Services (CS) and Supplemental Youth Services (SYS) programs.

To transmit the subject computation for State Workforce Agency usage in computing minimum weekly DUA amounts for all major disasters declared during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.

To provide instructions for National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) grantees for preparing and submitting program plans for Program Year (PY) 2017, establishing PY 2017 performance goals, and to convey the grant fund allocations for the program year.

This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) provides current SCSEP state, territorial, and national grantees with the application instructions, allocations, and the process and procedures for the PY 2017 grant submission.