This purpose of this guidance is twofold. First, it provides guidelines for reporting performance accountability information for programs receiving additional funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). These programs include the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult and Dislocated Worker programs, the WIA Youth program, including summer youth employment, National Emergency Grants, and the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service, including the Reemployment Services grants.

Guidance on performance accountability will be issued separately for the following programs receiving resources under the Recovery Act: the Senior Community Service and Employment Program (SCSEP); YouthBuild; Indian and Native American Youth grants; Competitive Grants in High Growth and Emerging Industry Sectors; and Trade Adjustment Assistance.

Second, this guidance also announces changes to the reporting requirements for the Workforce Investment Act Standardized Record Data (WIASRD), which is submitted by states on all individuals served with WIA funds who exit program or One-Stop system services.

To provide guidance on the modifications to the WIA Performance Reporting System

To inform NFJP grantees of the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) waiver of the biannual grants competition scheduled for Program Year (PY) 2009 and to convey planning guidance for the same period.

To inform the workforce system about the required process for providing outreach to and tracking outcomes of VRAP participants, including how the Department of Labor (DOL) will make available VRAP participant information to state grantees. It also includes procedures for American Job Center (formerly known as One-Stop Career Center) staff to offer VRAP participants employment assistance upon program completion or termination as required by the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. This guidance provides specifications for reporting to DOL on outreach activities and the employment outcomes of VRAP participants. This change also corrects an inconsistency on the reporting values, offers more details on report due dates, provides instruction for reporting individuals who are both VRAP participants and Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) claimants, and provides programmatic updates.

To inform NFJP Housing Assistance grantees of the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) waiver of the biannual grants competition scheduled for Program Year (PY) 2009, and to convey planning guidance for the same period.

To provide Indian and Native American grantees with WIA, Section 166, Supplemental Youth Services Program (SYSP) and Comprehensive Service Program (CSP) funding allotments and instructions for PY/2009 applications and plan modifications.

To notify WIA Section 166 Indian and Native American (INA) grantees of a pilot study on credentials received by participants of the Native American Employment and Training program and to provide guidance on how to define a credential. The pilot study will be for one year, from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014. All grantees will be included in the pilot study, however, no additional information will be required from grantees as the data will be obtained from the Standard Participant Information Record (SPIR) file that grantees already submit every quarter. Upon completion of the study, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) – in consultation with the Secretary of Labor’s (Secretary) Native American Employment and Training Council (NAETC) – will establish a “credential goal” for the Native American, Section 166 program. The purpose of the credential goal will be to promote increases in training that lead to the attainment of industry recognized credentials and employment. The credential goal will be in addition to the existing three performance measures for the Native American program (entered employment, employment retention and average earnings).

The purpose of this guidance is to provide all SCSEP grant applicants with application instruction and procedures for Program Year (PY) 2009 funds, with a period of performance beginning July 1, 2009.

To inform states of a change in the guidelines for negotiating Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title IB performance goals and performance levels for the Wagner-Peyser Act funded activities for Program Year (PY) 2009. In addition to the change in guidelines for negotiating performance goals, this document also publishes the GPRA goals for eleven other programs administered by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA); and explains the regression model used for setting the new national targets for the workforce investment program.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) amended the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) to increase the maximum annual amount of TAA funds that may be spent on training. The Department will use some of the funds appropriated for TAA in FY 2009 under the Consolidated Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. No. 111-8) (Omnibus Appropriations) for a supplemental distribution to the states, and will also hold funds in reserve. This program letter explains the formula methodology used in distributing this supplemental distribution and describes the process for states to request additional TAA program reserve funds for training.