To preserve the formatting of this document, it has been converted to PDF (Portable Document Format) to retain its original layout. Click on the link below to view, save, or print out the document.

To preserve the formatting of this document, it has been converted to PDF (Portable Document Format) to retain its original layout. Click on the link below to view, save, or print out the document.

To preserve the formatting of this document, it has been converted to PDF (Portable Document Format) to retain its original layout. Click on the link below to view, save, or print out the document.

To preserve the formatting of this document, it has been converted to PDF (Portable Document Format) to retain its original layout. Click on the link below to view, save, or print out the document.

To preserve the formatting of this document, it has been converted to PDF (Portable Document Format) to retain its original layout. Click on the link below to view, save, or print out the document.

References: Title V--NAFTA Transitional Adjustment Assistance and Other Provisions of PL 103-182, North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act; Trade Act of 1974 as amended; regulations at 20 CFR 617; Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 32-96; General Administration Letters (GAL) Nos. 6-94; 7-94; and 1-96. Background: The Employment and Training Administration's Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) launched a capacity building strategy aimed at increasing the effectiveness of staff in local and State agencies that administer TAA and NAFTA-TAA benefits and training services across the country. OTAA continues to support this effort through a variety of projects and activities which are responsive to, and in support of, the States' TAA and NAFTA-TAA service delivery systems. Thus far, OTAA has developed, with the Utah Department of Employment Security, a NAFTA-TAA video and poster available in both English and Spanish. The intent of these outreach materials is to increase dislocated workers' awareness of the benefits that may be available to them under the NAFTA-TAA Program. In addition, OTAA recently developed, with the State of Missouri and the Missouri Training Institute, along with various staff from the Federal, State, and local levels, a multimedia TAA and NAFTA-TAA Program training module on CD-ROM. The multimedia modules allow training to be standardized and available at individual work stations at every level of the employment and training system. Quick Reference Guide for TAA and NAFTA-TAA: Developed by OTAA and the Utah Department of Employment Security, the Quick Reference Guide for TAA and NAFTA-TAA is a training module and companion document to the CD-ROM. The guidebook is designed to enhance wide-spread knowledge of the contents of the TAA and NAFTA-TAA programs among administrators and practitioners, and to increase the technical skills of local office staff about basic methods and procedures for processing eligible applicants into the TAA and/or NAFTA-TAA program. Distribution: Copies of the Quick Reference Guide for TAA and NAFTA-TAA are being provided under separate cover to all State TAA and NAFTA-TAA Coordinators. Copies will also be sent to ETA Regional Offices, Public Interest Groups and Community-Based Organizations. Additional Copies: Additional copies of the Quick Reference Guide for TAA and NAFTA-TAA can be ordered (at cost) from Mr. Jan Fasselin at the Utah Department of Employment Security at (801) 526-4355.

Reference: Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 11-95, Simply Better! Continuous Improvement Project. Background: Simply Better! is a national technical assistance project designed to help employment and training organizations incorporate principles of continuous quality improvement into their daily operations. Simply Better! began in 1994 as a joint "capacity building" initiative among ETA's Office of Job Training Programs and the Seattle and Philadelphia Regional Offices. Since then it has expanded to include representatives of State governments, private industry councils, service delivery areas, sub-state grantees, local direct service providers and the other eight ETA Regional Offices. The publication described in this TEIN is the latest in a series of Simply Better! publications. Previously published materials include: (1) The Self-Assessment System, designed to help organizations better understand their strengths and weaknesses in seven key management areas; (2) The Voice of the Customer, a guide to measuring customer satisfaction; and (3) Customers in Focus, a handbook on conducting focus groups. Ten thousand copies of these publications have been distributed nationwide during 1996-97 and extensive training of State and local agency staff and management has been conducted by ETA Regional Offices. Service by Design: Service by Design is a practical seven-step process for improving a workforce development agency's every-day operations. Service by Design examines the points and places where an agency's customers come in contact with its services. These meetings can be called "transactions." A full program or "cycle" of services may consist of dozens of transactions between an agency and its customers. An agency can improve the overall quality of its programs and services by examining and improving each separate transaction in turn: Step One: Identify an opportunity. Select a customer transaction or service cycle for improvement. Step Two: Describe the key features of this service or transaction as the agency staff perceives them. Step Three: Survey agency customers to find out how they perceive this same service or transaction. Step Four: Identify and understand the gaps which may exist between what the agency thinks it is doing and what its customers really want. Step Five: Identify possible and probable causes of these gaps between customer expectation and reality. Step Six: Test the most promising improvements, measure the results and fine tune the process. Step Seven: Implement the proposed changes and improvements. Repeat the process. Continuous improvement never ends. The Service by Design publication consists of three booklets. The Overview explains how the quality improvement process works and how it can improve customer satisfaction and results. It includes a 15-minute exercise that will help readers appreciate the strength of this technique. The Guidebook contains an in-depth discussion of the rationale and methods behind the seven Service by Design steps, the analytical tools that quality improvement teams use, and some ideas for effectively implementing Service by Design techniques. The Workbook leads quality improvement teams through the process step-by-step. It contains blank forms, graphs, worksheets and other practical materials. Distribution: Supplies of Service by Design are available through ETA Regional Offices. To order copies or to find out about Regional distribution plans, please call the appropriate Simply Better! Regional contact person from the attached list. Action Required: Please inform Service Delivery Areas, Sub-State grantees, local Employment Service offices, One-Stop Career Centers and other appropriate employment and training service providers of the availability of Service by Design.

The report is an interim process evaluation of the Youth Fair Chance (YFC) demonstration which addresses four issues: (1) access to services, (2) sustainability, (3) the YFC concept, and (4) potential modifications to the YFC concept. To examine access to services, researchers compared the service environment in the YFC communities with that in a set of comparison communities, looking at expenditures and the range of services offered. To determine sustainability, researchers looked at how the YFC sites responded to Federal funding cuts, and their plans for future funding. The last two issues were addressed by focusing on how well YFC projects were operating at the existing sites. The YFC program, started in 1994, supports efforts in 16 urban and rural areas to help young people ages 14 to 30 finish high school, get better jobs, and address personal and family problems that are obstacles to success (a 17th site was added later). The program funded by DOL provides youths with education, employment preparation and training, counseling, and support services. Case managers coordinate the services and try to help young people find solutions to their individual problems. The YFC programs generally operate in areas that have fewer than 30,000 residents, high poverty rates and other problems associated with poverty. Twelve programs are in cities and four are in rural areas, including one area with a high proportion of Native Americans and another area that is home to many migrant and seasonal farm- workers. In YFC's first two years, each program received about $4 million in Federal funds. This report describes features of YFC programs, analyzes their implementation, and draws lessons from their experiences that may be useful for designers of youth programs and comprehensive initiatives. Action Required: Please distribute copies of the report to the Service Delivery Areas. A bulk supply of reports has been sent under separate cover.

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References: A description of the profiling model and the implementation process is contained in the technical report, "The Use of Profiling to Target Services in State Welfare-to-Work Programs: An Example of Process and Implementation," which is available from the JTPA Liaisons and on the ETA web page of "doleta.gov." A description of the Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services System is available in the UI Occasional paper 94-4, "The Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services System: Legislation, Implementation Process and Research Findings." Background: SDAs in many States have the responsibility of administering the new welfare-to-work programs. This under-taking is a departure from previous administrative duties and offers numerous challenges and opportunities. Welfare-to-work entails serving a different population with unique needs and challenges. SDAs must decide who to serve and with what services in order to operate an effective system. The welfare-to-work administrative structure also requires SDAs to cooperate and coordinate activities with social service agencies. ETA is funding a pilot project to design, test, and implement a profiling and referral model for Work First participants in the Kalamazoo/St. Joseph SDA in Michigan. The purpose of the pilot is to determine the feasibility and effectiveness for SDAs using this system as a management tool to determine which participants need and can benefit the most from reemployment services. The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research administers the Kalamazoo/St. Joseph SDA and is partnering with ETA to conduct this pilot. The Upjohn Institute is an independent, not-for-profit organization, that in addition to administering the SDA, provides and supports research on employment and training issues. The Institute's research division has designed the model and is currently assisting the operations division to implement the system. Issues Facing SDAs in Administering Work First Type Programs: SDAs, which administer Work First type programs, serve welfare recipients with a wide range of skills, aptitudes, and motivations. The harder-to-serve clients face multiple barriers to employment and could benefit from intensive services. However, only after clients have tried to find a job but failed do SDAs provide them with more than a minimal set of services. SDAs are faced with assessing the needs of clients and determining their capacity to benefit from services. However, scarce resources often preclude hiring as many case managers as are needed to perform these tasks. SDAs can be hampered by lack of information sharing, delays in referring clients, and duplication of effort between SDAs and social services systems that handle TANF grants, resulting in reduced efficiency and effectiveness of the system. Work First programs typically provide the same set of services to all welfare recipients, regardless of their needs and past work history. Work First administrators face the challenge of meeting performance standards while operating within State and federal requirements. Studies have shown that Work-First-type programs are more effective when services are targeted to meet individual needs. Where inadequate collaboration between SDAs and Wagner-Peyser service providers exists, the overall workforce development system's capacity to provide mediated and electronic job finding services as well as service options to welfare-to-work jobseekers are reduced. Description of the Profiling/Referral System in SDA: The SDA administers Michigan's Work First program and JTPA programs for the two-county area in southwest Michigan. The purpose of Work First is to provide welfare recipients the reemployment skills, support, and opportunities to obtain employment in the shortest possible time. The program offers participants instruction on proper techniques for writing resumes, completing applications and interviewing skills. All enrollees receive the same services regardless of their needs and must find qualified employment within four weeks of enrollment. More intensive skill training is available only to those who hold a job or to those who have repeatedly failed to find employment. The Kalamazoo/St. Joseph SDA is piloting a system that profiles Work First participants as to their likelihood of finding jobs, and then refers them to appropriate services. By identifying individuals at intake as to their relative need for reemploy- ment services based on their likelihood of finding a job at intake, local agencies can tailor programs to meet the varied needs of welfare clients and thus use scarce dollars more effectively. Profiling is a statistical methodology that assigns each welfare recipient referred to Work First a probability of finding and holding a qualified job (or conversely, not finding a job) within the specified time limits of the program. The probability is derived from a statistical model using information commonly collected during the enrollment interview. The model estimates the relationship between an individual's propensity to find and hold a job and their attributes, work and welfare histories, and the local labor market conditions. The model adopted by the Kalamazoo/St. Joseph SDA uses the participant's educational attainment, work status immediately prior to enrollment in Work First, and prior enrollment in Work First to predict employment. Estimates of the model yield coefficients that weight the attributes and, when multiplied by the attributes and summed, generate predicted probabilities. The estimated weights from the model are incorporated into the SDA's existing information system and automatically assigned a predicted probability when the individual's attributes are entered into the system. Based on the assigned probabilities, clients are referred to services that have been shown to most likely meet their needs. The Kalamazoo/St. Joseph SDA subcontracts with three providers to deliver services. Each subcontractor pursues a different approach to providing reemployment services, all within the guidelines of Work First. Analysis has shown that each program has a comparative advantage in serving clients with specific characteristics. The model predicts which client is least likely to obtain employment and indicates which provider may offer services that best address the individual's needs. The pilot is in the initial stages of implementation. The profiling model has been tested using administrative data collected at intake from participants who have enrolled in the welfare program during the last year and a half. The program will be evaluated by randomly assigning part of the weekly enrollees to the three providers and targeting the balance to specific subcontractors based on the model's predictions. The pilot builds on the Upjohn Institute's experience in developing a profiling model that the State of Michigan used for dislocated workers for the Michigan WPRS system. We plan to more fully discuss at the December 1997 JETTCON conference. Action: Please share this TEIN with representatives of the employment and training community, including the social service agencies working with employment programs for welfare recipients as we want to inform States agencies interested in this approach and perhaps expand the pilot to other States/SDAs.