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During the summer of 1993 comprehensive training was offered on the RQC design and methodology. This training was attended by both RQC reviewers and Data Processing (DP) staff from fifty-two (52) SESAs (all but the Virgin Islands). At training, information was provided on the twenty-one (21) measures used to assess timeliness and completion in four of the functions under review (Status Determination, Report Delinquency, Collections and Field Audit). It was explained that data elements used to calculate the measures came, for the most part, from the ETA 581 report. Following training, all SESAs began voluntary implementation of the program. The ETA 581 report has been revised to accommodate planned changes in data elements for accounts receivable and to include the proper elements for the RQC measures. SESA staff raised additional questions concerning these changes to the ETA 581 report. With the release of UI Program Letter 32-94, which announced the implementation of a revised ETA 581 and institution of RQC Computed Measures effective with the first calendar quarter of 1995, it is essential that all SESAs understand the measures and report data correctly. Clarification of Measures and Data Element Changes. Three attachments are provided with this directive. The first, Attachment #1, lists each of the RQC measures and provides rationale and information regarding their use. The second, Attachment #2, lists the changes made to the ETA 581 Report which were made to provide the data for RQC measures. The third, Attachment #3, lists tips and hints in finding and verifying data for Computed Measures. State staff in RQC, DP and preparation of required Federal reports may find this information helpful.

References: Job Training Partnership Act; Trade Act of 1974. Dual Enrollment: In consultation with the agencies responsible for service delivery in the employment and training system, enrolling TAA participants in the Title III program (if they are eligible) has been identified as a valuable program practice. Both programs offer advantages in delivering services a trade-dislocated worker may need. Closer coordination between the Trade and Title III programs provides a real opportunity to improve the quality of services and to increase customer satisfaction for Trade participants. The enrollment of Trade Act participants in Title III would also respond to some of the recommendations contained in an audit report of the TAA program issued by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in early 1994. The report included recommendations that procedures be implemented that require States to follow up on worker status after program participation and that management information systems be designed and implemented that would provide federal and State managers the necessary data to oversee program operations and evaluate effectiveness. Dual enrollment will make available participant and program data (including employment outcomes) collected for Title III program participants for the dual-enrolled Trade Act participants. In discussions with the OIG and in testimony on the Hill, the Department has identified dual enrollment as an effective way to respond to these concerns. Special Projects: All of these issues will be examined by all of the relevant parties as we seek to improve customer service and ensure quality performance. Nonetheless, the growing demands being placed on TAA training funds and the increased investment in the Title III program as of July 1 provide the impetus for early action on dual enrollment. Without such action, TAA training funds will likely be exhausted before the end of the fiscal year. All States are encouraged to undertake dual enrollment in order to increase the effectiveness of TAA services. The Department is making available Title III national reserve account funds for special projects to help States provide services which may not be available through the Trade Act. Dual enrollment of participants in TAA and Title III is already being undertaken in many States and substate areas. In such areas, the funds can be used to increase the number of persons being dual enrolled, expand the services being provided and to improve coordination between the programs in implementing dual enrollment. Attached are instructions for applying for Title III/TAA special projects. Because of the emergency nature of these special projects, the attached abbreviated application procedures will be used until further notice. Action: A. Recipients of this TEGL should make this available to appropriate officials throughout the State and substate dislocated worker system, and encourage efforts aimed at dual enrollment of adversely affected workers under a trade certification in the JTPA Title III program. B. Applications for funds, including the information required in the attachment, should be mailed to: Office of Grants and Contracts Management Division of Acquisition and Assistance, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-4203 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20210, Attention: Dislocated Worker Grants, Barbara J. Carroll, Grant Officer. A copy of the application should also be submitted to the appropriate Regional Office. Applications are currently being accepted and can be submitted through December 31, 1994. The applicant should specify the period of award, not to exceed June 30, 1996.

References: Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1992, Section 401; An Evaluation of Short-Time Compensation Programs, Unemployment Insurance Service Occasional Paper 86-4, 1986. Background: Seventeen State unemployment compensation laws contain provisions for STC programs (also known as work-sharing). The U. S. Department of Labor has contracted to conduct a study that will gather the data and conduct the analyses necessary for the fuller development of the Department's workforce development strategy. It will also provide input to a report to Congress on the implementation of STC as required under Section 401 of the Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1992. STC is an alternative to employee lay-offs, in which designated employees work shorter hours instead of being laid off. These employees are compensated for their lost work time with partial unemployment benefits. STC programs offer benefits to both employers and employees. For employers, STC can reduce work hours while maintaining the existing workforce and avoiding the costs of hiring and training new employees during economic recovery. For employees, STC protects against the financial burden of job loss, preserves job-specific skills and may assist certain workers experiencing impending permanent dislocation by allowing them to participate in retraining or look for a new position while still employed. The Department has funded a two year, $550,000 study of STC. The study, which began on July 1, will provide a comprehensive program evaluation. Data will be gathered through a survey of State and regional officials to determine the level of interest in the program, administrative practices and associated costs, and why States have or have not chosen to participate. A subset of 4 or 5 States will be requested to provide administrative data on STC and unemployment insurance (UI) claims for a random sample of employers. A survey of these employers will then gather information on why they have chosen to participate or not participate, the extent to which participation has prevented layoffs, and the effect of STC on employment and employee benefits. Action Required: All 53 States are requested to participate in the telephone survey on STC when contacted by staff of the prime contractor, Berkeley Planning Associates of Oakland, California or the sub-contractor Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. of Princeton, New Jersey. This survey will take place in the summer of 1995. In the next few months, 4 or 5 States will be requested to cooperate with the contractors by providing the administrative data needed to draw random samples for the employer surveys. The contractors will be acting as agents of the Department of Labor in receiving and analyzing these data and will be subject to both Federal and State confidentiality requirements. National and/or regional office staff will assist the contractors' in requesting this information.

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Attached is a check list of all active UIPLs as of July 31, 1994.

Background: Skills oriented youths performance standards policies established by the Department beginning in PY 1988 have moved the program toward increased emphasis on attainment of Youth Employment Competencies (YECs) as valued outcomes for youth, and have created a need for high quality YEC programs. The Department recently funded a national evaluation of JTPA YEC programs which was conducted by SRI International, Social Policy Research Associates and Brandeis University. In response to the issues identified by this evaluation, the attached TAG was developed to help Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) identify and overcome barriers encountered in the development of high quality YEC programs. It offers SDAs the opportunity to diagnose their existing approaches and make changes where appropriate. Action Required: JTPA Liaisons should ensure appropriate distribution of this TAG to SDAs.

Reference: TEIN 6-93. Background: This JTPA form is to be used to report expenditures in PY 1994, of PY 1992 Title II-A funds, which the State has opted to use under the regulations published February 22, 1989, for employment, training and/or services funded under the Act for individuals who were participants in Title II-A on or before June 30, 1993. WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES IN THE REQUIRED CONTENT OF THE LINE ITEMS ON THE JSSR FORMAT, LANGUAGE IN THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF THIS REPORT HAS BEEN CLARIFIED. (On the JSSR (Rev. June 1994), Lines 13 through 20 in Column (A) and Lines 1 through 20 in Columns (B) and (C) have been shaded and require no entries.) NOTE: Participants and terminations in activities funded with the above monies are to be included on the JQSR, Section VI, for the PY 1994 grant. (These individuals will be commingled with all participants/ terminations in activities funded under the "new rules".) OMB Approval and Reporting Burden: The JSSR requirements have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) according to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as amended. The JSSR has been extended under OMB Approval Number 1205-0200 and the expiration date is July 31, 1997. Reporting Requirements: The JSSR for PY 1994 will be submitted for the periods ending December 31 and June 30. JSSRs are due in the National and appropriate Regional Offices 45 days after the end of the above reporting periods. (This report format also may be used for submittal of PY 1993 data for the period ended June 30, 1994.) Action Required: State Liaisons are requested to distribute the attached format and instructions to all officials within the State who need such information.

Reference: Training and Employment Information Notice No. 15-91. Background: Recent oversight reviews conducted by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of procurement and on-the-job training (OJT) systems in the SDAs revealed many instances of inadequate monitoring of service providers operating under contracts. The reviews found that local monitoring to ensure compliance was often not conducted because of a lack of suitable monitoring instruments. At the same time, Congress and other program evaluators, i.e., the Government Accounting Office and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), were voicing concerns about the effectiveness of JTPA. This gave rise to a growing interest in oversight activities that integrated program integrity and quality issues at all levels including SDA service providers who expend the major portion of JTPA funds. In an effort to strengthen SDA monitoring, ETA has developed a TAG including eleven monitoring modules which an SDA may adapt to meet varying oversight needs and organizational configurations. A general introduction to monitoring is provided as well as specific information on how to combine data, form conclusions, and write reports. The modules have been reviewed by several public interest groups, the OIG, and were field tested on-site at 15 SDAs by local program staff. Technical Assistance Guide: The TAG is divided into three volumes: -- Volume I contains the general instructions applicable for all monitoring modules. -- Volume II is comprised of the eleven modules, which are data collection instruments, and includes advice for on-site implementation. -- Volume III provides instructions for preparation for on-site monitoring, interpretation of findings, and report preparation. Flexibility and Application: The modules may be used to monitor relevant areas under JTPA Titles II-A, II-B, and some areas under Title III. Where services are provided in-house, the modules may be used as self-assessment instruments. The use of these materials is entirely voluntary. All modules are flexible in that they are meant to be modified by SDAs to fit particular circumstances and to be responsive to changing Federal, State or local policies. SDAs should be cognizant of changes made by the recently passed amendments to JTPA. Some of the new provisions will necessitate changes to the modules. A diskette containing Volumes I, II, and III is provided along with each TAG to facilitate the modification process. The three volumes are prepared in Wordperfect 5.1. Monitoring Modules: The eleven monitoring modules cover the following topics: -- Occupational Classroom Training; -- Basic Education Classroom Training; -- On-the-Job Training (OJT) Employer; -- OJT Broker; -- Work Experience; -- Financial Accounting and Internal Controls; -- Payroll and Attendance Systems; -- Outreach and Recruitment; -- Participant Assessment and Referral; -- Supportive Services; and -- Job Development and Placement. While the modules are internally comprehensive they do not cover every topic that an SDA should monitor. Consideration should be given by the SDA to developing additional modules as appropriate. Training: In conjunction with planned training on the JTPA amendments, train-the-trainer sessions on using the new SDA Monitoring TAG will be made available to one two-person team from each State between March and May, 1993. Participants in the train-the-trainer sessions should have training backgrounds and experience in monitoring service provider contracts themselves so that they will be able to provide useful training and answer technical questions that may come up as they deliver turnaround sessions for SDA staff. Additional information about the train-the-trainer sessions will be provided at a later date. Distribution and Action: Copies of the three volumes constituting the TAG have been transmitted in bulk under separate cover to the State JTPA Liaisons. A diskette accompanies each TAG. Sufficient quantities are included for State JTPA Liaisons to forward multiple copies to SDAs. A copy should be provided to each State Worker Adjustment Liaison.

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