Purpose. To provide adjusted 1997 Lower Living Standard Income Level (LLSIL) tables for use in determining needs-related payments.

References. Sections 325A and 326, Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), as amended, and Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 10-94.

Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 49-93, Capacity Building Strategy Paper; TEIN No. 15-94, Status of Capacity Building Pilot Projects. Background: The Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training (DET) in Region I was awarded a grant under the capacity building initiatives to develop a replicable peer-to-peer technical assistance model. With assistance from the New England Compact and staff from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in Region I, DET developed a Region wide peer-to-peer system. The project designers undertook a three phase approach when developing their system. Phase I involved assessing the training needs of the front-line staff throughout the Region and identifying State and Service Delivery Area expertise in those areas. Following the assessment process, subject matter experts were identified to provide technical assistance to front-line staff. The subject matter experts became the consultants and mentors for the peer system. In Phase II, DET and the Compact held Peer Institutes to train the mentors and consultants. The institutes were designed to equip these front-line staff with the necessary skills to become effective trainers for peer exchange. Delivery of the peer exchange activity took place in Phase III with consultants providing "on-site" assistance to their peers throughout the Region. As a part of the peer-to-peer efforts, DET developed a replication manual. This manual is designed to assist employment and training professionals to understand the peer-to-peer concept and make informed choices about whether and how to adapt it for their own use. It also describes the process DET undertook to develop their peer-to-peer system. The manual has valuable information for employment and training professionals, specifically front-line staff. It provides a structured model that service deliverers may use to aid them when assessing the training needs of their staff and how best to meet those needs with their available resources. While the manual focuses on the peer system developed by DET, it can be customized to meet the needs of service delivery area staff in other locations around the country. Distribution: Copies of the manual are being provided under separate cover by DET to State JTPA Liaisons, State Employment Security Administrators, State Worker Adjustment Liaisons, One-Stop Contacts, Public Interest Groups, and Community Based Organizations. Capacity Building State Liaisons will also receive a copy.

Background: The Employment and Training Administration (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 ETAÆs 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. ETAÆs 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 also is preparing the first of five annual performance plans that will provide a road map 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. Action Required: Please distribute the attached memorandum from the Acting Assistant Secretary and the proposed strategic plan to appropriate officials within the State and to all Service Delivery Areas and Substate Areas within the State and encourage comments. Please invite them to share the plan with staff and with customers. In addition, please continue to take every opportunity to work closely with your Regional Administrator in efforts to develop or refine strategies for meeting and exceeding these goals.

Background: Workforce development is a major initiative of the Clinton Administration and the Congress. States, local communities, and Regional Offices have been working diligently to build a high- quality system for our customers that integrates services and programs, including UI. Investments in technology are also creating new and better ways of serving customers. The UI programÆs innovation enabling the remote filing of claims by telephone and/or computers is revolutionizing the way unemployed workers interact with the workforce development system to access unemployment benefits. This trend raises some major issues including: (1) how to maintain connections between UI and the other components of the workforce development system for reemployment services, and (2) how to manage the impact on the system infrastructure (e.g., physical, structural, fiscal)? Consultation Process: The Unemployment Insurance Service recognizes that the UI program is a key player in the emerging workforce development system. The attached paper, developed by a group of UIS National Office and Regional Office managers is an attempt to articulate the role of the UI program within the larger workforce development system-- emphasizing the traditional role of UI and an expanded role in the workforce development system. National Office and Regional Office ETA managers will throughout the summer conduct consultations with the workforce development system including States, local communities, employers and organized labor. All States will be consulted in order to receive and process their input so that a clear vision of UI and its role in the workforce development system can be developed, and to commence appropriate actions to implement this vision. Actions: State Workforce Development officials, especially in the UI and One-Stop areas are encouraged to share and review this paper with relevant partners, commissions, Boards and Councils and provide any comments no later than August 15, 1997. Comments should be addressed to the Regional Administrator, with a copy to Grace A. Kilbane at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4231, Washington D.C. 20210.

Background: The Job Training for the Homeless Demonstration Program (JTHDP) was authorized under Section 731 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. This program, administered by DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), represented the first comprehensive federal program specifically designed to provide employment and training services (and a wide range of other supportive services) for homeless individuals and to assist them in securing employment. The demonstration effort was launched in September 1988 with a series of grants to 32 locally operated demonstration sites across the nation. JTHDP continued over slightly more than seven years, concluding in November 1995. Action Required: State JTPA Liaisons are requested to distribute copies of the report to the SDAs. A bulk supply of reports has been sent under separate cover.

Background: Release of the new SOC will have long-term implications for virtually all State employment and training programs. Currently, most workforce development programs rely on the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) and/or the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) occupational coding systems. The DOT is being replaced by O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, and O*NET plans to adopt the revised SOC once it is finalized. Over the years, government agencies have created their own classification systems for their specific needs. This made the comparison of occupational data extremely difficult. A single occupational classification system is needed. In addition, requirements in federal legislation are increasingly demanding that occupational data be classified on a more comparable basis. The initial attempt to produce a government-wide occupational classification standard was the 1980 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual. A federal interdepartmental committee has completed developmental work to update and revise the SOC. Use of New SOC System: All federal agencies that collect occupational data are expected to utilize the new system. Thus, federally-funded programs and services which rely on or use occupational classification coding will begin transitioning/converting to the new SOC. For example, the revised SOC will be used for the 1999 OES survey as well as the 2000 Census. Action: Since most employment-related programs, including unemployment insurance, employment services, Job Training Partnership Act programs, one-stop career centers, school- to-work initiatives and career information delivery systems (CIDS), use the OES and/or DOT, it is important that all employment and training programs have the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed revision. Comments should be sent in writing by September 5, 1997, to: Paul Hadlock, Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Suite 4840, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20212.

Background: JTPA is unique among social service initiatives in the amount of information gathered on its program participants. The SPIR is a national automated database that includes information on individuals who exit most JTPA training programs in a given year--dislocated workers, older workers, and economically disadvantaged youth and adults. The PY 1995 database includes over 840,000 records, making JTPA unique in the amount of individualized data it provides to multiple users. (Individual identifiers for each record have been removed to ensure JTPA participant confidentiality.) Five categories of participant information are included in the database: Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnic group, and persons with disabilities; Wage data before and after participation in the program; Training received by participants who left the program, such as basic education, classroom training, or on-the-job training; Services provided, such as counseling or job search services; and Program results, such as employment status at termination and 13-week follow-up, and attainment of employability enhancements. CD-ROM Information: The complete public use data set for all PY 1995 JTPA Titles IIA, IIC, III, and Section 204(d) participants will soon be available in CD-ROM format. For the first time, the SPIR CD-ROM also contains the PY 95 SPIR Data Book, all 51 State SPIR Data Books, the Guide to JTPA Performance Standards for Program Years 1996 and 1997, additional technical documentation, and free Acrobat TM Reader software in both MS-DOS and Windows versions. A complete list of the contents of the PY 1995 SPIR CD-ROM is attached. Expected Benefits: The SPIR database provides users with a powerful tool for examining the characteristics and job training outcomes of particular participant subgroups. Such information is vital for successful program management and promoting continuous improvements in job training. For example: Combined with statistical analysis software, the SPIR database can help users analyze what combination of training and services for specific subgroups of customers leads to stable jobs at the state, regional and national levels; The SPIR database can be used to identify the kinds of nontraditional jobs found by women who received services under JTPA; SPIR can help identify whether local programs are able to replace the previous salary of dislocated workers who have been laid off for varying periods of time before they entered JTPA-sponsored training; and SPIR can help identify general patterns of characteristics and outcomes across categories of individuals who have completed JTPA services or specific job training programs. For State administrators, this information is a useful management tool that can be used to identify high- and low- achieving local service delivery programs, to inform the development of performance goals for making continuous quality improvements throughout JTPA, and to focus technical assistance. SPIR also supports State, local community, and federal policy and management analysis by showing which services lead to positive outcomes for participants. Thus, users would be better able to assess the needs of JTPA customers and improve job training and employment programs. Distribution: The National Data Book is attached. State Data Books will be distributed shortly under separate cover and also can be downloaded from the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM will be distributed in approximately four weeks to those receiving this TEIN. Additional copies will be available upon request from ETA's Office of Policy and Research by contacting either Doug Scott at (202) 219-5487 ext. 111 (Internet:scottd@doleta.gov), or Valerie Lloyd at ext. 107 (Internet:lloydv@doleta.gov). OPR's fax number is (202) 219-5455.

CD-ROM Information: The new, enhanced format for the PY 1995 CD-ROM contains the complete public use data set on all individuals who exited the PY 1995 JTPA Titles IIA, IIC, III, and Section 204(d) programs. (Individual identifiers for each record have been removed to ensure JTPA participant confidentiality. Unique identifier codes have been substituted.) For the first time, the SPIR CD-ROM also contains the PY 95 SPIR Data Book, all 52 State SPIR Data Books, the Guide to JTPA Performance Standards for Program Years 1996 and 1997, and additional technical documentation. Acrobat TM Reader software in both MS-DOS and Windows versions are included to allow easy reading and printing of the documents. The readme.txt file provides a summary of the CD-ROM's contents and may be a useful place to start. A complete list of the contents of the PY 1995 SPIR CD-ROM is attached. The data in the public use data set are provided in a pure text (ASCII) format that can be read by any appropriate statistical analysis program (for example, SASTM or SPSSTM) or database program. In addition to the actual data set, the CD-ROM contains complete documentation of the public use data files for the JTPA Title IIA, IIC, III and Section 204(d) programs. All documentation is in Adobe AcrobatTM (.pdf) format. Files with a ".pdf" extension can be easily viewed and printed using the AcrobatTM reader automatically invoked on the CD-ROM. The report "Overview of PY 95 SPIR Public Use Data Files," contains important caveats for users. A copy is attached, and it is also in the pub_over.pdf file. The entire record layout for all 300 variables in the public use data set is listed in the pub_use.pdf file. The CD-ROM also contains extensive tables derived from the SPIR data, including SPIR Data Books for the nation and for each State. The Data Books provide detailed descriptive tables on characteristics, services and outcomes for individuals who exited JTPA programs. These tables are also provided in AcrobatTM format, as is the Guide to JTPA Performance Standards for Program Years 1996 and 1997. Errors in Economic Data. Due to a programming error, not all data items based on the ES202 data were updated as the documentation claims. For the following items in the economic conditions data set, 1994 data instead of 1995 data are incorrectly included on the CD-ROM in the econ.dat file: 1) annual earnings in retail and wholesale trade, 2) 3-year growth rate of earnings in trade, and 3) percent employment in manufacturing, agriculture and mining. A future notice will transmit printouts of the corrected economic data. SPIR Background. Please refer to TEIN No. 5-97, dated July 25, 1997, for background information on the SPIR data set and Data Books, including some expected benefits of use of the data for State and local analysis. The TEIN also transmitted printed copies of the PY 1995 SPIR Data Book.

Background: Legislation enacted by Congress has increased requirements for full and complete reporting of national program performance for public information and accountability purposes. These laws include the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. GPRA requires all federal agencies to develop and submit to Congress both a 5-year strategic plan and a Fiscal Year 1998 annual plan, with major emphases on measuring and reporting program outcomes and impacts. The Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) internal assessment of its capability to respond to these increased mandates has shown we need to do a better job of ensuring that recipients comply with existing reporting schedules. Recent experience also has illustrated the ongoing need for ETA to monitor and ensure the quality of financial and program data reported to it by recipients. Data Quality: ETA, in collaboration with the Department's Office of Inspector General, has developed a Data Quality Review Guide with which Regional Offices are conducting State reviews of data quality on a multi-year cycle. Error, edit, outlier, and data quality reports from the SPIR database contractor also help States and Regional Offices monitor the quality of SPIR data submissions. Reporting Schedule: The attached is a reporting schedule for your use in monitoring your own response to the existing reporting time lines as currently established. Reporting deadlines are, of course, subject to change in response to future developments. A major change in JTPA reporting occurred with Program Year 1992, when for the first time records for each individual terminee were required for the new SPIR system. Each successive year has shown improvements in most States' ability to work with the SPIR database contractor and to submit timely and accurate SPIR files with fewer fatal errors and fewer iterations. During those years, however, the reporting deadline was not rigorously enforced in order to provide a window of time for States to edit their SPIR data and refine their data submission procedures. Final Cutoff Date for SPIR Reporting: Due to Congress' heightened requirements for program accountability reporting, and because SPIR is now fully operational after several years of phase-in, ETA will now require firm adherence to current SPIR reporting deadlines. August 15, 1997, is the due date for initial PY 1996 SPIR submissions. ETA will now firmly observe December 1, 1997, as the final cutoff date for States' submission of PY 1996 SPIR data revisions. ETA's SPIR database contractor has been instructed not to accept further submissions after that date. ETA's public information and analysis of JTPA performance will be based on data received by December 1. Submissions received after that date will not be used for purposes of analyzing JTPA performance, testimony, public discussion and dissemination of performance data and findings. Missing and incomplete data will be identified appropriately, such as in footnotes.

Background: During the last week in June 1997, the IRS issued Certificates of Expected Separation to 1,063 individual workers in 59 local areas. This certificate specifies a Reduction-in-Force to be implemented around November 1, 1997, which is expected to result in the termination of employment of the individuals receiving the certificate. A copy of the Certificate of Expected Separation which was issued is included as Attachment A to this TEIN. In the May 26, 1992 Federal Register, the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a revised rule creating the Certificate of Expected Separation as a notice to a federal worker of probable termination of employment through reduction- in-force procedures. The certificate could be issued up to six months prior to the effective date of the reduction-in-force. On June 22, 1992, the Department of Labor issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 10-91, establishing the policy that any worker, who is otherwise eligible for participation in a JTPA Title III program, who receives a Certificate of Expected Separation pursuant to the rules defined by OPM in the Federal Register notice, shall be deemed to have met the JTPA Title III eligibility criterion at Section 301 as receiving a notice of termination. The IRS, in partnership with the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), has sponsored and continues to sponsor an outplacement program for its workers through a contract with the outplacement services firm, Drake Beam Morin (DBM). Attachment B includes a description of the services covered under this contract. Given that the services do not include testing or retraining, and the services are not available to workers after they are terminated, the IRS is encouraging workers receiving the Certificate of Expected Separation to seek and use services available through the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Information on Location of Expected Layoffs: Attachment C provides information on the location and number of workers at each who received a Certificate of Expected Separation. Workers in all locations except the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area received the certificate on June 23; those in the DC metropolitan area received it on June 27. Action: State-level officials should make all affected substate areas aware of the action which has been taken by the IRS and of the acceptability of the Certificate of Expected Separation as a notice of termination for Title III eligibility determination purposes. States and substate grantees should coordinate with the IRS Outplacement Centers and/or local offices of Drake Beam Morin in planning and implementing reemployment services for the affected workers, and, as appropriate, initiating Rapid Response activities. A list of the IRS Outplacement Centers is included as Attachment D.