References: Training and Employment Information Notices (TEINs) Nos. 2-93, 25- 93, 49-93 and 15-94. Background: The D-ROM version of the Assessment/ISS TAG is one in a series of upcoming multimedia training modules designed to enhance wide- spread knowledge of the contents of the TAGs developed in 1993 and 1994 to help employment and training program administrators and practitioners achieve full implementation of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Amendments of 1992. However, with the current emphasis on one-stop career systems, and the rapid changes local program operators will face in light of proposed new legislation, future training modules will focus on programs and initiatives beyond JTPA. The first module covered the JTPA Title II Eligibility Documentation TAG which was distributed in the summer of 1995. Follow-up data indicated that users of the Eligibility Documentation CD were pleased with this training medium. Other training modules will include: Case Management; Targeting, Outreach and Recruitment; and two others to be determined. As training modules are completed, they will be announced and later distributed via TEINs to the system. The training modules are being developed through a cooperative agreement with the State of Missouri; the Missouri Training Institute (MTI); and the Utah Office of Economic Development for Job Training, along with various staff experts from the Federal, State, and Service Delivery and Substate Areas. The multimedia modules will allow training to be standardized and available at individual workstations at every level of the employment and training system. Earlier this year, the CD-ROM was demonstrated and well received by employment and training staff in the system. The CD-ROM will be showcased at the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals Conference in San Antonio, TX in May, and at the Joint Employment and Training Technology Conference (JETT*CON) in Washington, D.C. in July. Training Module Format: The training module will be developed in two versions: Multimedia, interactive CD-ROM: Working from a CD-ROM drive, the user will have the capability to interact with the training package from beginning to end. The CD is equipped with audio sounds and videos that are directly related to the contents of the TAG. Using the mouse or via the keyboard, users will be able to advance through the training module and receive immediate feedback from built-in exercises (learning objectives) at their own pace. It is estimated that the CD-ROM version can be completed in 2.5 - 3.0 uninterrupted hours. Should such a block of time be unavailable, its design is such that a user can learn in shorter segments. Text-Based Training Module: Some States and SDAs may not have the capability or workstations to install the CD-ROM version of the training module. To ensure that all staff have the opportunity to receive this training, a text-based version of the Assessment/ISS TAG is being developed as well. The text-based version does not require use of a CD-ROM drive. Staff will still have the ability to receive self-paced training at their workstation. System Requirements: As with the distribution of the first interactive computer-based training module in compact disc format, certain minimum requirements are needed to run the training module properly. Below are specifications for minimum and optimum requirements to install and run the Assessment/ISS training module. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Hardware: Configuration is an IBM or compatible 386 processor, 12 megabytes of memory, SoundBlaster compatible sound card, a high resolution color monitor (XVGA or SVGA) capable of displaying thousands of colors, and a double speed CD-ROM drive. Software: Movie drivers (Video for Windows drivers will be included on the Assessment CD); Necessary fonts (will be included on the Assessment CD); Microsoft Windows 3.1; and SoundBlaster compatible sound card driver. OPTIMUM: Hardware: IBM PS/2 or compatible Intel-based microcomputer capable of running Microsoft Windows 3.1. Preferable configuration is a 486-DX (at least 66MHz) or Pentium processor, 16 megabytes of memory, SoundBlaster compatible sound card, a high resolution color monitor (XVGA or SVGA) capable of displaying thousands of colors and a quadruple speed CD-ROM drive. Software: Same as the minimum requirements. Distribution: Copies of the CD-ROM version of the Assessment/ISS training module are being provided under separate cover to all State Liaisons for distribution to: SDAs (3 copies each); State Worker Adjustment Liaison (1 copy); One-Stop Career Center System Lead (1 copy); State Employment Security Agency Administrator (1 copy); and State JTPA agency (balance of copies). Copies will also be sent to ETA Regional Offices, Public Interest Groups and Community-Based Organizations. Members of the Professional Development and Training Panel will also receive one copy each. The text-based version of the TAG will be completed in the near future, and a TEIN will be sent prior to system-wide distribution. Technical Assistance: Instructions for installing and running the Assessment/ISS training module are included in each CD-ROM mailer. However, with new technology there are often associated problems. Requests for technical assistance and additional CDs should be referred to the Missouri Training Institute at 573-882-2860.

Background: The public employment and training system is poised for a period of significant change in funding and organization. The new sorting of responsibilities between and among the federal, State and local partners contained in both the current House and Senate legislation creates challenges and promising opportunities. ETA views technology as an indispensable component in helping our delivery systems address the effects of these challenges, to exploit latent opportunities, and to accelerate the nation's movement to a world class public employment and training system. Both the President and the Vice President have stressed that technology will play a key role in improving both education and training opportunities of all Americans and reduce the cost of government. With the reality of reduced budgets, all levels of government are being called on to deliver high-quality, easily- accessible services at a lower cost to the taxpayer, to position those services closer to the customer, and to retain the flexibility to respond to dynamic conditions in our labor markets. Conference Objective: With the potential of new employment and training legislation, this particular conference provides an excellent learning opportunity for those engaged in critical workforce development activities. Specifically, JETT*CON provides ETA's State and local partners the opportunity -- to learn how technology can be used to improve the operation and delivery of workforce development services, to see, touch, and feel these technologies first-hand, to become more knowledgeable consumers of technology. In addition, the commercial marketplace, and technology vendors in particular, will have the chance to gain a better understanding of and access to the emerging public workforce development marketplace. JETT*CON will provide a forum for ongoing discussion of our collaborative system-building efforts at all levels of government, with lively and provocative demonstrations on how today's and tomorrow's technology can be used in the delivery of public employment and training programs and services. In anticipation of block grants and program consolidation requirements, ETA has structured meetings and colloquia within the conference format to promote exchanges and networking between and among all system-building partners. JETT*CON provides a unique, integrated forum where all of ETA's system-building activities can conduct essential dialogues between organizations and experts, and share effective practices and experiences. Conference Overview: JETT*CON is a combination of integrated, coordinated events: pre- conference workshops, plenary sessions that will address topics of concern to all members of the employment and training community, concurrent meetings of most of ETA's system-building activities (i.e., One-Stop Career Centers, Enterprise/Pioneers, and America's Labor Market Information System), JETT*CON technology workshops and the JETT*CON exposition program. Content for the plenary sessions and concurrent meetings is under development and will be distributed to the field as soon as possible. JETT*CON's technology workshop and exposition program has been organized around integrated thematic tracks: Internet - technology used to access and use the Internet to improve program services. Operations - technology used to support the operation, administration, and management of public employment and training programs, their money, or their customers. Access - technology used to deliver information directly to customers or to establish new pathways for accessing available information resources. Training - technology used to deliver training services directly to the customers of the public employment and training system. Labor Exchange - technology used to match job seekers with job openings and employers with qualified applicants. Quality - technology used to support continuous improvement and total quality management programs. Several activities and events have been structured around each track, including: Educational Workshops -- an interactive, hands-on learning experience which focuses on the application of technology to that "track" and provides tools to assist consumers in choosing technologies and vendors. System Showcases and Presentations -- examples of exemplary uses of technology drawn from the public employment and training system. Exhibits -- more than 70 vendors that provide technologies germane to workforce development. New Product Demonstrations -- selected exhibitors will be asked to present new and exciting products that are of benefit to the public employment and training community. In addition to these activities, ETA's electronic replacement of the outdated Dictionary of Occupational Titles, O*NET, will be showcased. The conference is being co-sponsored by the National Alliance of Business (NAB) in partnership with several of ETA's national partner organizations (i.e., Enterprise Council, the American Association of Community Colleges, American Society for Training and Development, Human Resources Development Institute (AFL-CIO), National Association of Counties, National Association of Private Industry Councils, National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies, U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, and the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee). Attendance: This conference is designed for leaders, policy makers, and practitioners of States and local governments engaged in planning for or implementing One-Stop Career Centers and local learning laboratories, developing labor market information delivery systems, engaging in system-building activities, and establishing or expanding programs of continuous improvement and quality services to benefit their customers. JETT*CON is planning on 1500 participants. There is no restriction on attendance. Everyone is invited to attend. However, attendance at a few business meetings conducted by selected groups will be by invitation only. Registration: A registration form is attached to this TEIN. It is being distributed to all State JTPA Liaisons, One-Stop Liaisons, State Employment Security Administrators, and State Worker Adjustment Liaisons. These individuals will then distribute the information as needed. Please complete the form and fax or mail it to: JETT*CON Registration Center c/o National Alliance of Business 1201 New York Avenue, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 Fax: (202) 289-1303 Attention: Makeda White Conference brochures are being sent to the following groups and organizations who will distribute them as needed: Regional Administrators All JETT*CON Partners LMI Liaisons The Enterprise/Pioneers will send brochures as part of a special mailing to their members and others in the JTPA community. Copies of this TEIN will be distributed to Job Corps, the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training, School-to-Work, and National Programs. These groups will then disseminate the TEIN to their constituencies. You may also register online by bringing up the JETT*CON Homepage. The URL address is http://www.doleta.gov/media/jettcon. Complete the online registration form and Email it according to the instructions. Do not send any credit card information over the Internet. All individuals who register online will be invoiced. You will then have your choice of payment methods. Special registration instructions and a letter will be sent to individuals who had registered for JETT*CON in January, paid by personal check or credit card and did not request a refund. Housing Information: Hotel space is being held until June 5, 1996. A limited number of guest rooms are available at the government rate ($124). Please contact the hotel directly for reservations (hotel contact information is contained on the registration form). Be sure to mention JETT*CON to secure the government rate. Action: Please share this information with appropriate staff who may be interested in attending JETT*CON.

Background: Preparing today's young people for tomorrow's high-skill jobs is essential to our Nation's continuing success. For more than a decade, the JTPA Summer Youth Employment and Training Program has introduced young people to the world of work and has helped them better understand how to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in school, while paving the way for brighter, more productive futures. In recent years, the Department's Summer Challenge has urged businesses to get involved -- to provide summer jobs for teens in their communities, to provide funding for programs to help those younger teens, to serve as mentors in the schools, and so on. The Department has also urged the private sector to play a larger and more vital role in preparing young people for the world of work, recognizing that employers know best the sorts of skills they need in their future employees to remain competitive. As demonstrated in previous years, States know the importance of private sector involvement in youth efforts and have, for the last few years, responded to the Department's Challenge by initiating a variety of private sector campaigns. Today, given the reduced funding of JTPA programs, private sector participation is more important than ever. Therefore, the Department encourages you and the local areas in your State not only to continue, but to intensify efforts to engage the private sector in local summer youth job programs this year. Technical Assistance: To this end, the Department is sending to the training and employment system SummerWorks A Compendium of 1995 Private Sector Summer Youth Jobs Initiatives and School-to-Work Summer Programs, a "how-to" booklet developed by staff of the San Francisco Regional Office. The booklet is based on a series of interviews with private sector employers and employment and training practitioners active in youth initiatives in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada. ETA's Regional Offices will be distributing this booklet, along with a cover letter from Assistant Secretary Tim Barnicle, to your offices and to all SDA's in the State, in order to share successful strategies for developing private sector summer youth jobs. As additional technical assistance materials become available, they will also be provided to you. Separate Cover: SummerWorks A Compendium of 1995 Private Sector Summer Youth Jobs Initiatives and School-to-Work Summer Programs.

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References: Sections 325A and 326, Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), as amended. Discussion: The LLSIL (100 percent) is used to determine eligibility for needs-related payments for projects funded with Title III National Reserve funds and operated in accordance with Section 326 (Clean Air Employment Transition Assistance) and Section 325A (Defense Diversification, by reference to Section 326(f)). Attached is an information package which includes: 1) the tables for the 1999 LLSIL adjusted to reflect 100 percent of the LLSIL; 2) the Federal Register notice (May 14, 1999) which explains how to use these tables; and 3) the poverty guidelines 1999 (Federal Register, March 18, 1999) issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which are used in determining the level of the needs-related payments. Action: States should make this information available to all appropriate officials and staff who deal with Title III.

Reference: Solicitation of Grant Announcement (SGA), Federal Register, Volume 64, No. 105, page 29672-29691, Wednesday, June 2, 1999. Background: Section 169 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 authorizes funding for Youth Opportunity Grants to serve youth living in high poverty areas. These grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to eligible local workforce investment boards, other administrative entities receiving formula funds under Job Training Partnership Act, and designated Native American programs as prescribed in Section 166 of WIA. State Roles: Under WIA, the Governor may designate eligible areas, consistent with the requirements of the Act. States may also provide technical assistance and resources to local areas in developing their grant applications, particularly to rural areas and Native American applicants. (a) Area Designation: (i) Section 169 of WIA authorizes Governors in States without Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities (EZ/ECs) to designate high poverty areas in their States as eligible to apply for Youth Opportunity Grants. (ii) Section 169 also authorizes Governors with EZ/ECs to designate up to two (2) additional high poverty areas as eligible to apply for these grants. Such additional areas in States with EZ/ECs must meet the poverty criteria for EZ/ECs set forth in Section 1392 (a)(4),(b), a,(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. States may need to set up procedures for areas to determine the applicant¿s eligibility for designation. Upon designation approval, a letter must be sent to the local entity, signed by the Governor, describing how the target area was designated. A copy of the designation letter must be submitted with the applicant¿s proposal. (b)Technical Assistance and Resources: Rural areas and Native Americans applying for these grants may not have as many resources available as urban areas may have. The Department encourages States and local areas to provide technical assistance to rural areas and to collaborate with Native American applicants in preparing their proposals. The use of complementary resources, such as integration into the One-Stop System, to rural and sizable urban Native American projects may be considered. Technical Assistance Conferences: The Department will be holding Technical Assistance Conferences for local sites wishing to apply for these grants. States are welcome to send representatives. Dates and locations for the conferences are as follows: June 15 District of Columbia June16Chicago, Illinois June 23Denver (Native American grant applicants only) June24Los Angeles, California June 29Atlanta, Georgia Specific information regarding sites and times for the conferences will be sent directly to all SDAs, and can be accessed by calling the Youth Opportunity Grants Technical Assistance Conference Headquarters at (703) 299-1680. Action Required: Encourage the designation of the additional eligible areas as soon as possible so that applicants from these areas will not be at a competitive disadvantage with applicants from EZ/EC communities.

References: Public Law 97-300, Section 4(8) (JTPA). Background: JTPA defines the term "economically disadvantaged" at Section 4(8) of the Act. Among other things the term means an individual who is a member of a family which has received a total family income for the 6-month period prior to application for the program involved which, in relation to family size, was not in excess of the higher of the poverty level determined in accordance with criteria established by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, or 70 percent of the LLSIL. The poverty levels were revised and new Federal Poverty Income Guidelines were published in the Federal Register on Monday, March 4, 1996. The guidelines for the LLSIL were published in the Federal Register on April 3, 1996. Attached are copies of these 1996 guidelines. Effective Date: States may implement these guidelines in accordance with the dates as published in the Federal Register or on such later date as the Governor may determine for JTPA programs in the State, but no later than July 1, 1996. In future years as well, States may implement guidelines in accordance with the effective dates published in the Federal Register.