This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) informs states of the Department of Labor’s (Department) interpretation of the Trade Act, applicable to workers without regard to whether they were covered by certifications issued under the 2002 Amendments or the 2009 Amendments or any future law governing the TAA program, allowing equitable tolling of the statutory and regulatory TAA deadlines for: 1) enrolling in training as a condition of eligibility for Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) under section 231(a)(5)(A) of the Trade Act; 2) making a bona fide application to a training program as a condition of eligibility for Additional TRA under section 233(b); and 3) applying for job search allowances under section 237(a)(2)(C) and relocation allowances under section 238(a)(2)(E) and (c) of the Trade Act. In this context, this TEGL emphasizes to State Workforce Agencies or agencies designated by Governors as “Cooperative State Agencies” (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as “states”) the critical importance of their responsibility to notify adversely affected workers that they are covered under a TAA certification and to supply them with TAA benefit information that explains these deadlines.

Per recent Congressional action, this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) has two purposes:
a) To provide states with revised allotment levels for the WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Fiscal Year 2012 “advance” funds which become available to states in October 2011. The revised levels are based on the 1.503 temporary rate of operations reduction included in the short-term Continuing Appropriations Acts of 2012.
b) To clarify that the Governors’ Reserve is set at five percent for all Performance Year 2011 WIA funds.

To bring attention to the requirements of the TAA Program regulations as they relate to the withdrawal of a trade-affected worker from approved training.

To assist State Workforce Agencies or agencies designated by Governors as “Cooperative State Agencies” (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as “states”) implement the provisions of the TAAEA enacted on October 21, 2011. The TAAEA amends the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program (2011 Amendments), restoring (with some exceptions) the expanded certification criteria and benefits and services provided under the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Act of 2009 (2009 Amendments).

This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) provides information on the Selective Service registration requirements for Workforce Investment Act-funded services established by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) § 189(h), codified at 20 CFR 667.250, and the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 453), codified at 32 CFR Part 1605.

To provide the state workforce agencies (SWAs) clarification on the use of documents used to verify eligibility for WOTC, in order to support the uninterrupted processing of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) Disconnected Youth related eligible certification requests.

To provide guidelines for the FY 2021 UI RESEA grants and to invite State Workforce Agencies to submit applications for funding.

To assist State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) or agencies designated by Governors as "Cooperating State Agencies" (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as "States," "Recipients," "Grantees," "Applicant," or "You") in gaining access to FY 2021 TAA Program TaOA funds by completing and submitting Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance, through www.grants.gov.

To assist State Workforce Agencies or agencies designated by Governors as "Cooperating State Agencies" (CSAs) (also jointly referred to as "states") by: 1) identifying the FY 2021 Initial Allocation of TaOA funding amounts to states; 2) describing the formula methodology used by the Department of Labor (Department) to calculate these amounts; and 3) providing the process for states to request TAA Program reserve funds for TaOA. TaOA includes training, job search allowances, relocation allowances, employment and case management services, and related state administration.

To strongly encourage states to expend their allotment from the $500 million special distribution under the Recovery Act as quickly as feasible and prudent in accordance with the intent of the Recovery Act to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery.