References: Older Worker (OW) Bulletin No. 97-2; Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 31-96. Background: ETA goals for both Program Year (PY) 1995/Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 and PY 1996/FY 1997 have focused upon performance improvement and customer satisfaction, among other things, while involving ETA's partners and stakeholders in the processes of goal development and implementation. This Bulletin deals with this year's processes. Discussion: OW Bulletin No. 97-2 transmitted ETA's PY 1996/FY 1997 goals. Included among them, at #14 (c) and (d), were the following: "c) At least 25% of Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) enrollees will be placed in unsubsidized jobs; and d) Ensure that the number of SCSEP persons served exceed the number of positions funded by 40% to permit the program to serve as many participants as possible." For many, goal #14 (c) was a surprise. We apologize for this. Sponsors were involved in informal discussions about projected placement rates during the summer months, prior to the development of draft ETA goals later in the fall. Since the program experience for PY 1995 resulted in placement of 25 percent of SCSEP enrollees in unsubsidized employment, we concluded that such a goal for the program in PY 1996 would be readily attainable, and this was incorporated in the draft goals. No further thought was given to this until the overall ETA goals were made final and disseminated later in the year. SCSEP sponsors should have been notified that this decision had been taken. This ETA goal applies to the overall SCSEP program, not to individual sponsors. The regulatory provision at 20 CFR Section 641.314, that the Department has established a goal of placing into unsubsidized employment the number of enrollees which equals at least 20 percent of the project's annual authorized positions, continues to apply. Note that the provision establishes a goal, and not a regulatory requirement with which all sponsors must comply. Also note that while the regulations require the development and submittal of a plan of action when the 20 percent goal is not achieved, such a plan is not necessary when the sponsor achieves at least 20 percent although less than the newly formulated overall ETA 25 percent goal for SCSEP. In addition, the conditions of the grant agreement with sponsors are controlling. Thus, when the numerical goal (obtained by multiplying the number of authorized positions by 20 percent) is calculated, that number is the goal against which the sponsor's unsubsidized placement performance is assessed. Similarly, the goal for the number of enrollees to be served is determined by multiplying the number of authorized positions by 140 percent. The number obtained is the goal to which actual performance against this indicator is compared. Customer Satisfaction Goals. Over and above the performance- related goals, ETA's goals also address grantee and service delivery partner satisfaction with services provided by ETA, and the satisfaction of the "customers" of grantees with the services they are provided. Specifically, the goals most directly relevant to SCSEP sponsors are as follows: "15. b) Increase to 75% or by at least 5 percentage points, the number of ETA's direct service delivery partners who use a customer satisfaction measurement system for continuous improvement, contingent upon availability of baseline data that reflect how many ETA partners have such measurement systems and on an assessment of what constitutes a realistic increase." "16. b) At least 75% of OSTP's grantees' customers will rate the services they receive as `very' or `extremely' helpful in facilitating the accomplishment of their objectives." To translate this jargon into more familiar terms, "ETA's direct service delivery partners" refers to entities that deliver services directly to participants. This would include local Job Service offices, Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) service delivery areas and service providers like community-based organizations, One-Stop Career Centers, and local SCSEP projects providing services to enrollees. The first goal aims at increasing the number of such entities using "customer" satisfaction measurement systems to 75 percent of the total of all such entities. "OSTP's grantees' customers" refers to the "customers" of grantees associated with the Office of Special Targeted Programs -- Indian and Native American grantees, migrant and seasonal farmworker grantees, projects for people with disabilities grantees, and SCSEP grantees. In this context, "customers" refers primarily to ETA's ultimate customers -- program participants, including enrollees in SCSEP projects. The term "customers" could also refer to employers, to sub-projects, and to host agency worksites in the SCSEP program. The second goal seeks to set a floor for the satisfaction of such customers with the services received from ETA-funded programs. Tools for Meeting Customer Satisfaction Goals: The attached TEIN was recently distributed to the JTPA, One-Stop Career Center, and State Employment Security Agency systems. It notes ETA's customer satisfaction goals, and identifies Simply Better! technical assistance products as tools that can be helpful in establishing customer satisfaction measurement systems, and in obtaining useful feedback from direct service delivery customers that may be helpful in improving program operations. Training may also be available to SCSEP sponsors and local project operators through ETA's Regional Offices. Simply Better! contacts for ETA's 10 Regional Offices are provided as an attachment to the TEIN. Action Requested: Sponsors that have not already done so should take steps now to establish customer satisfaction measurement systems in local projects, and may do so at National and State (and Regional, where applicable) levels as well. Sponsors are also requested to communicate the 1996 program-wide 25 percent placement goal and the 140 percent service goal to appropriate individuals in their organizations. Please explain that the goals are not applicable to individual sponsors but apply to the entire SCSEP program.

Reference: See Attachment. Background: ETA is continuing its widespread consultation process involving partners and stakeholders (as well as ETA staff). This process was initiated several years ago to solicit critical feedback on both ETA's goals and the early draft of the strategic plan required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). GPRA requires that all agencies submit their first strategic plan in September 1997, and that agencies consider the views and suggestions of their stakeholders, customers and other interested parties. ETA's current goals and comments received from previous consultations were considered in the development of the proposed long-range (five-year) strategic plan. As part of the GPRA requirements, ETA is also preparing the first of five annual performance plans to measure incremental progress in achieving its long-range goals. The feedback gained through this consultation process should provide valuable information for the development of this annual plan. The attached memorandum includes information on how to submit feedback. Actions Required: Please review the attached materials, share with interested parties, and provide comments no later than August 1.

Reference: Older Worker Bulletins No. 94-12 and No. 97-7. Background: Additional OAA Title V funds, in the amount of $1.2 million, have become available for obligation and expenditure during this program year. Following internal discussions within the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), we have concluded that the funds should be used to advance the purposes of Section 502(e) of the OAA. Older Worker Bulletin No. 94-12 transmitted the Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. study of the Section 502(e) program, recommending that it be better advertised so that employers and individuals may learn of its existence, and that additional funds be assigned to the program. In conducting reviews of recently submitted grant applications for Program Year 1997, ETA has ascertained that the aggregate amount of funding proposed to be used for Section 502(e) purposes was relatively small. Therefore, the additional available funds are being targeted to advance Section 502(e) purposes. Policy: Section 502(e) projects are effective tools in achieving one of the purposes of the SCSEP program, namely the transition to unsubsidized employment pursuant to the regulations at 20 CFR Section 641.101. Further, OAA Section 502(e) projects may be the best vehicle for obtaining job placements in the private for- profit sector, where wages and fringe benefits are likely to be greater than in the public or non-profit sectors. Thus, such projects can facilitate the achievement of economic self- sufficiency for SCSEP enrollees. Therefore, ETA encourages further and expanded conduct of Section 502(e) projects. Plans: ETA plans to fund four to ten grant modifications ranging in size from $100,000 to $300,000 to National and State SCSEP sponsors, for Section 502(e) projects to be conducted during the present program year. We hope to fund at least two States to implement Section 502(e) projects with these funds. (Final dollar amounts of grant modification funds may have to be negotiated depending on the response to this Bulletin.) In addition, a limited amount of funds will be reserved for: (1) publication and dissemination of technical assistance guides and other materials dealing with Section 502(e) program activities and other SCSEP matters of interest: and (2) workshops and training sessions on on-the-job training, senior employment agencies and other Section 502(e)-related efforts, as well as other areas of interest to SCSEP administrators and local project operators. Procedures: Applications are to be submitted to the Division of Older Worker Programs as modifications to the recently executed grants by August 29. Although applications may be submitted after that date, it is likely that all available funds will be obligated to project proposals submitted earlier. Selections will be made non-competitively based on the quality of the proposal, overall benefits to participants, ability to implement projects quickly, and geographic considerations. Applicants may be funded for more or less than the proposed amount. If more applications are received than available dollars can accommodate, ETA will fund as many applications as feasible. Guidelines for submission of applications may be found in Section 10 of Older Worker Bulletin No. 97-7, and in Attachment IV to that Bulletin. Additional criteria will not be established for these funds, except that some degree of detail in description of planned activities is preferred over general discussions, and that planned approaches that demonstrate ability to mount program activities effectively and expeditiously will be favored. In general, Section 502(e) project applications should be no longer than 10 pages. The projects selected for additional funding will be those that offer the best prospects for quality unsubsidized placements that will enhance the economic self- sufficiency of the greatest number of SCSEP enrollees. Non-Federal matching funds for these Section 502(e) projects will not be required, pursuant to Section 502(e)(1) of the OAA. Additionally, the award of these funds will not be subject to the usual State-by-State formula distribution limitation. As noted in Older Worker Bulletin No. 94-12, the allowable administrative cost level may be increased to 15 percent if there is a good reason for doing so; operation of a Section 502(e) project is a legitimate reason for increasing administrative costs. Further, administrative cost limitations apply to the sponsor's overall SCSEP grant, so that the administrative costs for Section 502(e) projects may even exceed 15 percent, so long as the overall grant budget remains within the administrative cost limitations. The objective is to obligate funds quickly to projects that can readily use them to achieve the unsubsidized placement of substantial numbers of SCSEP enrollees within the balance of the program year. While new Section 502(e) efforts by sponsors that have not previously engaged in such activity are encouraged, funds are limited. Rather than applying for these new monies, SCSEP sponsors that have not previously operated Section 502(e) projects may wish to do so through modification of existing grants, or in preparation of Program Year 1998 grants. Training and technical assistance materials will be made available in the near future. Technical Assistance and Training: As indicated above, publications are being developed for dissemination, and workshops will be presented to advance Section 502(e) project activities and other efforts intended to improve SCSEP program operations. Sponsors wishing to assist in these activities should discuss the contributions they could make with their Federal representative so that determinations may be made in the near future as to how to arrange these TAT activities. Limited funding may be made available to sponsors to defray the costs of conducting these TAT activities.

Reference: Older Worker Bulletin 97-8. Background: ETA announced a demonstration program to test the concept that providing services designed to address the specific needs of older workers facing a change in job status will help those individuals find employment that is appropriate to their individual circumstances and brings satisfaction to them and their employers. The program is funded with the Secretary's National Reserve funds appropriated for Title III of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and administered in accordance with 29 CFR Part 95 and 97 as applicable. The seven organizations that were awarded grant funds for the demonstration program are : JEWISH VOCATIONAL SERVICES Boston, Massachusetts OPERATION A-B-L-E Chicago, Illinois IAM CENTER FOR ADMINISTERING REHABILITATION & EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Upper Marlboro, Maryland GREEN THUMB, INC. Des Moines, Iowa GREEN THUMB, INC. Mansura, Louisiana VERMONT ASSOCIATES FOR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, INC. St. Albans, Vermont SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT Harrisburg, Mississippi Action Required: Please review the attached materials and share with interested parties.

Background: Each year the Division of Older Worker Programs issues notices to the program sponsors of the SCSEP in the form of Older Worker Bulletins. The issues addressed in these bulletins focus on matters of policy, procedures and subjects of general interest. Issuance: The attached index of Older Worker Bulletins is ordered by number. Only those bulletins still pertinent to the SCSEP are referenced in this index. They are updated from the previous index of bulletins, issued in November of 1996. Sponsors may wish to maintain copies of some rescinded bulletins which are not included on the list. Such bulletins may include those concerning such topics as income eligibility or reporting instructions, which may be needed for audit or historical purposes. Should you have questions concerning bulletins that are not included on this list, please advise us accordingly. Directive: The index should be used by the SCSEP sponsors to identify Older Worker Bulletins of a specific nature. This index will continue to be updated periodically by the Department. Sponsors are responsible for maintaining their own files and should not rely on the Department to retrieve old issuances. Sponsors are further reminded that their office should retain a permanent file of OW Bulletins. Copies of the pertinent bulletins, as well as the current program year bulletins, may be accessed via the SCSEP homepage on the Internet. If a sponsor is unable to access the Internet and is missing any of the listed bulletins, the Department will provide hard copies upon request.

Background: The workforce development system is rapidly changing to accommodate new training and employment demands and emerging service delivery systems such as the One-Stop Career Center System. The changes are affecting all employment and training programs including the SCSEP. More changes are anticipated as Congress revisits the roles and responsibilities of programs and projects comprising the nation's workforce development system. SCSEP grantees must be in position to deliver quality services to their customers. They must continue to improve while meeting customer needs. As key staff and local program administrators change, an increased need for training and technical assistance is created. The Division of Older Worker Programs encourages SCSEP grantees to participate in a system that provides for experienced, specifically skilled grantees to deliver technical assistance or training to other grantees desiring specialized training. This system of Peer-to-Peer TAT will utilize the expertise of individuals who are knowledgeable in certain program and administrative areas to assist their counterparts in other programs. Peer-to-Peer TAT will make it possible for grantees to help each other as, collectively, we all strive to deliver the best possible services to our customers. Planned Activities: The Division of Older Worker Programs has an agreement with DTI Associates, Inc. to work with Federal and non-Federal staff to assist in the design of the SCSEP Peer-to-Peer TAT system. One of the first activities being undertaken is to review other programs where a peer-to-peer system is working or has been attempted. Conversations are ongoing with staff in the Indian and Native American Program which has had a peer-to-peer system in operation for many years. Similarly, work done by MDC, Inc. that culminated in the June 1995 publication of a manual titled Learning and Teaching: A Demonstrated Approach to State and Regional Peer-to-Peer Capacity Building, is being reviewed for applicability to this effort. Following the research of past peer-to-peer efforts input will be sought from SCSEP National and State sponsors, and other organizations involved in the program. This will occur in a number of ways: Requests for review and comments on drafts of the peer-to-peer system under development; Establishing a work group to obtain feedback as the project progresses (this group is described in the next section of this Bulletin); and Presentations at Older Worker conferences where comments, observations, and recommendations may be made by attendees. Feedback Group: The feedback group is made up of representatives from SCSEP National and State Sponsors and other organizations. The purpose of the group is to provide feedback to the developers of the system as the design begins to take shape. We do not envision that it will be necessary to physically convene this group in one location. Rather, input will be accomplished through e-mail or conference calls. The group size will be kept to 10 members. If you are not a member of the workgroup, and would like to present a view, voice a comment, offer a suggestion, or make a recommendation you may contact any member of the group or any of the developers in the Division of Older Worker Programs. When the group is established you will be provided with names, addresses, phone and fax numbers. The main thing is that you should view the Peer-to-Peer system as your system and take part in its design. Accordingly, you will have many opportunities to provide your input. The work group is currently comprised of representatives from the following organizations: Green Thumb National Urban League National Council on the Aging National Association of State Units on Aging Senior Texas Employment Program (STEP) U.S. Forest Service National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) State of Colorado Technology: One of the features of the Peer-to-Peer TAT system will be the use of technology to exchange information among grantees. Preliminary plans are to make use of the ETA Older Workers Homepage on the Internet for this purpose. A special section would be devoted to SCSEP Peer-to-Peer TAT information exchange. This would be a place where grantees can go to seek "how-to" information on a variety of program and administrative issues. Also planned on the Homepage is a place where grantees can find information on successful linkages and innovative projects. When the system is up on the ETA Older Workers Homepage, we hope that you will contribute information for inclusion. Training: Training on the new system will take the form of briefings at the Older Worker conferences planned for the fall of 1997. A Peer-to-Peer workshop will be held at each of the conferences. Each workshop will be conducted in a manner to provide for the maximum amount of dialogue and input from grantees and other partners in the system. The guides used in the workshops will later become the manuals for the Peer-to-Peer TAT system. Action Requested: Each sponsor interested in helping to structure the TAT Peer-to-Peer system is invited to send comments, suggestions and recommendations to the Division of Older Workers in the ETA National Office. All submissions should be sent to the attention of Frances Hawkins.

Background: Today, America's workforce is undergoing an unprecedented series of changes. While technology is rapidly reshaping the face of our economy, a large segment of America's population, the Baby Boom Generation, is aging as business struggles to compete in an increasingly global market. Simultaneous advances in technology and changes in demography are having an impact that will continue reshaping our economy well into the 21st century. Many people are familiar with facts about technology, computers and downsizing. However, many do not know that the number of workers age 45 and over will have increased by nearly 17 million between 1994 and 2005. To meet the challenges that these impacts suggest, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) commissioned the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute to conduct a series of focus groups on issues related to the training of older workers. Over the course of a year, several focus groups were convened. The first round of focus groups was composed of workers age 45 and over from a variety of workplaces. Another round of two additional groups, one composed of professional trainers and another of supervisors and human resource professionals, approached the issue from a different perspective. With the intent of obtaining information on workforce issues that would be useful to employers, policy makers, trainers, Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and SCSEP administrators, the focus groups discussed several questions regarding attitudes towards the training of older workers. Although the focus group participants were generally more well off financially than SCSEP enrollees, they voiced concern about many of the same practices and perceptions of employers commonly experienced by older workers across-the-board. To assist older workers to have more positive workplace experiences, you should be aware of the employer attitudes and practices often experienced by mature workers in today' workplace. The report concludes with this caveat: "As we close out the last decade of this century and look toward the next, it is clear that neither employers nor employees can afford to sit by as the skills of the workforce become obsolete." Actions Required: SCSEP sponsors should: a. Undertake efforts to disseminate information about mature workers revealed by the study; b. Initiate dialogues with employers to educate them about the findings of the study; c. Promote efforts to educate employers about the benefits of hiring, retraining and retaining mature workers; d. Facilitate and promote continued participation by mature workers in the workforce - e.g. through job fairs, mature worker luncheons, news releases and radio and television public service announcements emphasizing the benefits of hiring, training or retraining, and retaining mature workers; and e. Coordinate with State Employment Security Agencies, JTPA State Liaisons, and Service Delivery Areas, the Governor's office and other SCSEP sponsors to further foster community efforts to hire, train and promote mature workers at the State and community levels.

References: Older Worker Bulletin No. 97-14 Background: The One-Stop Career Center System, which serves both job seekers and employers, is designed to transform the current fragmented array of employment and training programs into a coordinated information and service delivery system. It is a framework in which States have the flexibility to design a delivery system to meet their labor market needs. One-Stop encourages States and their local partners to use whatever means work best in their particular circumstances. Each service area should have at least one full-service physical center. Customers in that area should have a choice in the way they access information and services -- through other locations or through electronic means -- kiosks in malls, personal computers at community colleges or libraries through an Internet connection, etc. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is not dictating to State and local governments how to establish and operate One-Stops beyond four basic principles that apply to all One Stops. One-Stop Principles: a.) A core set of fundamental services available universally to all individuals and employers; b.) Customer choice in accessing the services and information; c.) Integration of programs, services and goverment to the maximum degree possible -- including continuous improvement of at least the ETA programs; and d.) Accountability for performance and outcomes. America's Labor Market Information System: An important feature of the One Stop Career Center is the labor market information (LMI) that pulls the system together. Through America's Labor Market Information System (ALMIS), customer friendly tools will be available. A number of fact sheets on the various products, services, applications, databases and technical infrastructure emerging under ALMIS have been developed. Some of these are included as enclosures to this bulletin. They may also be accessed on the Internet from ETA's main web page (www.doleta.gov) under the SHOWCASE section. ETA Strategic Plan: One of the proposed strategies for improving services to older workers in Older Worker Bulletin 97-14, which presented ETA's proposed Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 1998-2002, is the strengthening and development of linkages with other employment and training providers. One-Stop Career Centers offer SCSEP sponsors an opportunity to efficiently improve their linkages with multiple service providers. Indeed, one of the proposed measures for the SCSEP in the Strategic Plan is the number of grantees linked to the One-Stop Career Center System. How Does The One-Stop System Operate?: The One-Stop Career Center System is a combination of agencies operating through a single place or system. The principal operator of a One-Stop may be a local Employment Service Office, a Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) service delivery area (SDA), or a private for-profit or nonprofit organization or a consortium of these parties. The agencies that participate may include the vocational rehabilitation office, a sheltered workshop, the Social Security Administration, the Employment Service, employers, a chamber of commerce, the SDA, a Private Industry Council (PIC), a SCSEP project and others. The system focuses on the enhancement of available opportunities through coordination between related organizations. One-Stop "Shopping": The One-Stop Career Center System can be compared to a supermarket where many different products are sold which are made by many different producers. One company may develop, ship, and advertise a product, but the product is sold in the supermarket among many other products--including some that are competitive, and some that are complimentary. Store management coordinates and selects the products that fill the store and insures that daily operations are maintained. Similarly, successful management of the One-Stop, whether it is done by a PIC, an SDA or some other organization, will not limit itself to presenting services that it alone produces and controls. It will seek other agencies to participate and provide services. Thus, job seekers and employers will be able to find the services they need through one system. The vision of One-Stop for the customer is that it's all "invisible" -- there are separate funding streams but the customer doesn't know or care what program he or she is eligible for -- just that he or she gets the needed information or service. Which program provides the service is not important to the customer. How important is it? One-Stop will be the access point for employment and training activities and other services and the place for employers to find workers. It will be the focal point of all future training and placement efforts. How is it being implemented? The One-Stop System is being implemented in stages. The first stage began 3 years ago. The current census places the number of official One-Stop Career Centers at 374, the number of implementing States of 24, and more States will be added in the near future. To find out more information on the State-by-State implementation and planning activities, you are referred to the Internet address http://www.ttrc.doleta.gov/onestop. There are also 10 "model" One-Stop Career Centers nationwide that serve as "Learning Labs" for employment and training professionals who want to design and implement their own One-Stop systems and serve as test sites for customer service, design and technology features. A list of these 10 learning labs is provided as an attachment. In addition, a team of SCSEP project representatives have developed a training program on "How To Address Older Worker Needs in One-Stop Centers". This will be presented at the SCSEP training sessions in November, and will be made available for system-wide distribution by December 1997. How May a SCSEP Project Participate? SCSEP projects should get involved in the planning process, the earlier the better. The One-Stop Career Center systems are continuously improving so there should always be room for more customers. SCSEP projects may serve as a referral source for the One-Stop Center, or they may provide some staff assistance to the One-Stop through computer links or a physical presence. It is not inconceivable that an SCSEP project could be the operator of a One-Stop. Also, One-Stops can provide enrollees with information on employment, training, Social Security, access to the aging network and other matters. Where May More Information Be Obtained? Information on One-Stops may be obtained at the headquarters of ETA or through the Regional Offices (see attached). Also attached is a list of contacts by State and a progress report on official One-Stop Centers. The Internet address is http://www.ttrc.doleta.gov/onestop, where information can be obtained on One-Stop and America's Labor Market Information System (ALMIS). Action: SCSEP sponsors are encouraged to participate in the development and implementation of One-Stop Career Centers. In order to assess the number of grantees that are linked to the One-Stop Career Center System, sponsors are encouraged to put this information in their narrative report with the Quarterly Progress Report.

Reference: Older Worker Bulletins: 97-8, "Eligibility Certification for Enrollees in Joint SCSEP-Job Training Partnership Act Programs"; 94-10, "Joint Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) Eligibility"; and 94-1, "Technical Amendment to Title V of the Older Americans Act" Background: Although there have been two issuances to the JTPA network regarding joint enrollment in SCSEP and JTPA, many Service Delivery Areas and JTPA Section 204(d) operators remain reluctant to accept eligibility determinations conducted by SCSEP program operators. This situation works to the detriment of seniors who are seeking and in need of employment and training. Recently, Region III issued a Regional Field Memorandum designed to clarify the policy on dual enrollment. This regional issuance reiterates the Department of Labor's policy and briefly discusses some of the concerns that JTPA operators have expressed. A copy of this memorandum is attached for your information. Action: SCSEP sponsors should review the attachment and are encouraged to share copies with appropriate staff and other agencies. We hope this information will foster cooperation between the JTPA and SCSEP programs.

Background: The SCSEP Regulations at 20 CFR 641.311, Enrollee Wages and Fringe Benefits, require that enrollees be paid the higher of the Federal, State or local minimum wage, or the prevailing rates of pay for persons employed in similar public occupations by the same employer. On September 1, 1997, the Federal minimum wage was increased to $5.15 an hour. The new Federal minimum hourly rate applies to all States and territories except American Samoa, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Action: All SCSEP enrollees should be paid in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Except as noted above, the Act requires that the new Federal minimum wage of $5.15 be paid effective September 1, 1997. Where other provisions may require a higher minimum wage, the higher standard applies. Effective Date: September 1, 1997.