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Background: Public Law 103-152 amending the Social Security Act, requires that States establish a system of profiling new UI claimants. This law also called for the Secretary of Labor to report to Congress on the operation and effectiveness of the UI profiling systems and requirements for participation in reemployment services under the law. The specific goals of this report are to: A. Describe the ways that all States have implemented Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services (WPRS) systems, including: -- Coordination among partnering agencies. -- Identification and selection of claimants at risk of benefit exhaustion. -- Providing reemployment services. -- Obtaining feedback about the extent that profiled and referred claimants meet their participation requirements. -- Identifying different strategies for implementing and operating WPRS systems that may influence the effectiveness of WPRS systems. B. Determine the effectiveness of early WPRS systems within the five States that received prototype funding and the sixth test State for the prototype DOL profiling model which also implemented WPRS early. Specifically, we report on the effectiveness of WPRS in: -- Increasing receipt of reemployment services among those likely to exhaust their UI benefits. -- Providing early intervention by referring claimants to services early in their period of unemployment. -- Reducing receipt of UI and the extent that UI benefits are exhausted. -- Increasing subsequent employment and earnings of UI claimants. C. Provide recommendations to enhance the ability of WPRS systems to meet the goals of the WPRS legislation. This report is based on data from two primary sources: a survey of all State administrators about the implementation and operation of WPRS systems, and claimant-level data from the prototype and test States for early WPRS claimants and for a comparable group of claimants who were not referred to WPRS services. Distribution: Copies of this publication have been sent to all addressees under separate cover. Additional copies are available through the Office of Policy and Research, Dissemination Unit, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N5637, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone number: 202-219-7664 x119.

Background: The Job Training for the Homeless Demonstration Program (JTHDP) was authorized under Section 731 of the McKinney Act (Public law 100-77). Under this legislation, the U.S. Department Labor (DOL) was authorized to plan, implement, and evaluate a job training demonstration program for homeless individuals. The resulting JTHDP, 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 support 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 was implemented over four phases, each somewhat distinct, building upon the experiences of the previous phase. Phase one was an "exploratory phase," designed to test the feasibility of the demonstration effort, help shape the direction of future phases, and develop a methodology for the evaluation. Phase two provided sites considerable flexibility in designing their service delivery strategies, selecting program participants, and determining which services participants received and how services were sequenced. Building on what was learned during JTHDP's initial phases, DOL/ETA announced a new initiative for JTHDP in November 1990. In accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated between DOL and HUD, during Phase three sites were required to establish a comprehensive housing assistance strategy. With the demonstration effort drawing to a close, the fourth phase emphasized "partnering" of JTHDP sites with local JTPA programs, as well as the continuation of projects in their localities after the demonstration effort concluded. A major emphasis of the final phase was on broadening and enhancing effective delivery of services to the homeless by the current Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Title II-A service delivery system. This report is two-fold: (1) to analyze the results of the JTHDP and (2) to draw out lessons learned from the demonstration that can help guide future efforts at providing comprehensive and cost-effective services to address the problem of homelessness in the United States. Particular emphasis is placed on the lessons learned with regard to providing employment and training services. However, there is a wide spectrum of other types of housing and support services that are needed to effectively help homeless individuals and families make the transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. This particular report is designed to address the following major questions: -- Who did JTHDP serve? -- How did JTHDP grantees serve program participants? -- What were the key program linkages? -- What were the outcomes for participants and costs related to serving these participants? -- How successful were JTHDP sites in "partnering" with the JTPA service delivery system? -- Were JTHDP sites able to continue serving homeless individuals at the conclusion of the demonstration effort? Distribution: Copies of this report have been sent under separate cover to all addressees. Additional copies are available through the Office of Policy and Research, Dissemination Unit, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N5637, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone number: 202-219-7664 x119.

Background: About 30 percent of the United States population was born between 1946 and 1964. Collectively, people in this age group are referred to as the Baby Boom generation. This genera- tion has had a profound effect on public policy and society as a whole. At each stage of the life cycle, this group has had an impact on public and private services. There is a need for workforce development practitioners to be prepared for the demographic and workforce shifts brought about by the gradual transition of the Baby Boom Generation into retirement. The aforementioned report examines this phenomenon. The report was made available through a separate mailing. Older Worker Bulletin No. 98-8, along with the report's executive summary are both attached to provide a description. Also attached, is a press release announcing the publication of the report. Implications: The report documents the aging of the eligible population of the workforce development programs, noting that the number of low-income mature workers will increase by 25 percent, from 8 to 10 million people, within the next several years. This is contrasted with the relatively low proportion of individuals ages 55 and better currently being served under Title II and III of the Job Training Partnership Act. Recruitment practices may need to be improved, and the design of service delivery may need to be modified, if the presently under-represented mature economically disadvantaged population is to be effectively served as the demographic bulge passes into the next century. Distribution: Copies of the report have been sent under separate cover to State JTPA Liaisons, State Worker Adjustment Liaisons, State Employment Security Agencies, One-stop Career Center System Leads, ETA Regional Offices and Senior Community Service Employment Program sponsors.

Reference: Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 22-96. Background: Computer applications that use dates for processing or calculating are at risk of systems failure if the applications are not programmed to handle the year 2000. Currently, many applications use a two digit date format (i.e., 98 is used to represent 1998). In the year 2000, the two digit date will read 00, representing 1900. The computer applications will not recognize the century change, unless they are programmed. To accommodate the century change, date formats should be four digits. Pursuant to instructions received from the Office of Management and Budget, ETA is advising its grantee community that ETA reports submitted in electronic fashion will not be affected by the millenial change. Such electronic reports do contain date fields; however, these dates are not used for calculations or processing. Therefore, no programming changes are required for data transmission. Instructions for SPIR data reports will be transmitted at a later date. Action Required: States are requested to provide the above information to appropriate staff.

References: Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 4-97. Background: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) continues to promote linking education and work through functional context-based instruction. Within the last decade, ETA has shifted SYETP's focus from one that emphasized giving young people an introduction to the working world to one that emphasizes integrating work and education addressing basic skills and other educational needs of participants. To provide support to the Workforce Development system in operating effective summer programs, ETA contracted with Social Policy Research Associates (SPRA) and Brandeis University's Center for Human Resources (CHR) to conduct an evaluation of the educational services component of SYETP and to create a Technical Assistance Guide (TAG), "Providing Educational Services in the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program", which could be of assistance to the system. The TAG was developed based on in-depth case studies of 83 educational programs in 30 service delivery areas (SDAs) across the country. Technical Assistance Guide: The TAG is based primarily on the quantitative analyses and qualitative data collected during site visits. It also draws on observations of the research staff from their long-term experiences studying related employment and training programs. The TAG is divided into two main parts, each with its own intended audience. Part A: Getting Started is intended primarily for Service Delivery Area staff, especially Summer Youth Coordinators. Chapters I through III are designed primarily for SDA staff, especially Summer Youth Coordinators. They include suggestions for strategies that SDAs can use in designing educational services. Part B: Strategies for Summer Youth Instruction is directed at the practitioner audience, including classroom instructors and worksite supervisors. This section of the TAG provides information on effective strategies for delivering educational instruction in the context of SYETP. While Chapters IV and V address issues of interest primarily to practitioners, including classroom instructors and worksite supervisors, these two chapters also provide step-by-step guidance on how to improve the content and instructional methods of the educational component. Chapter IV of the TAG focuses on Project-Based Learning, an instructional strategy in which participants plan, implement, complete, and evaluate a valuable real-life project. One strategy is to have youth prepare journals or maintain portfolios which expose them to becoming actively engaged in learning at the project level. They create a record of the youth's summer experiences and provide evidence of the skills used and attained which can forge a bridge when the youth returns to school in the fall. Furthermore, they document what a student learned and did through involvement in a project. The TAG is based on real experiences of SDAs and their work sites where active learning is taking place. The examples are not theory. The TAG can assist persons working with youth this summer. States and SDAs are encouraged to review the overall strategies and utilize them to the extent possible. States and SDAs are encouraged to review the specific examples about how project based learning and classroom training can be effectively integrated with plans at the local sites where the youth will be assigned. Many of the ideas may be able to be adapted for implementation this summer with only a little additional planning. Coming Up Taller: The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities' publication, "Coming Up Taller", is filled with examples of arts and humanities programs for at-risk youth. These examples, many of which successfully combine the arts and job training, provide guidance to States and SDAs interested in launching summer programs with an arts focus. This publication illustrates how, in addition to their intrinsic value, the arts can provide youth with both resiliency skills (i.e., self esteem, assertiveness and discipline) and career opportunities. "Coming Up Taller" is available electronically at www.cominguptaller.org. States and SDAs are also encouraged to be in touch with State and local arts agencies to enlist their support for and participation in such summer projects. These agencies can provide mentors, project faculty, etc. Local arts agencies can be found through contacting the appropriate State Agency. Action Required: States are requested to: -- a. work with their SDAs to promote specific targets for educational service; and -- b. seek opportunities for linking work and learning during this summer's program.

Background: In response to requests from One-Stop implementation States for training resources appropriate to the One-Stop system, a National curricula "sweep" funded jointly by the U.S. Department of Labor and the State of California was conducted, resulting in a collection which includes listings of over 350 resources (courses, videos, books, audio tapes, etc.) available from private, public, and not-for-profit sources. Resource Collection: This One-Stop Training and Technical Assistance Resources collection includes information about: Skill Clusters; Delivery Modes; Delivery Options; and Support Materials to help the user identify key information when searching for the most desirable training and technical assistance resource. It is sorted in numerous ways including by vendor and by State to help further identify the most appropriate training resources. Delivery options include peer-to-peer, professional vendor, self-study, distance learning, and consulting. Many of the resources are free or available on a material reimbursement basis. While the Resources Collection contains a significant number of offerings, it is by no means all-inclusive. We anticipate that the Resources Collection will be greatly augmented through the One-Stop Capacity Building information gathering project currently underway. The Resources Collection is a vehicle for valuable information sharing; however, as noted in the disclaimer at the front of the Collection, inclusion of materials in the document does not constitute or imply their endorsement by the Department. Distribution and Use of the One-Stop Training and Technical Assistance Resources. Under separate cover, State One-Stop Leads will each receive 10 copies of the curriculum sweep for State use along with one copy each for open One-Stop Career Centers in their State. The copies should arrive by the end of May 1998. This Resources Collection is available on the Internet at www.ttrc.doleta.gov/onestop/collection.htm. Within the next few months the offerings included in the Resources Collection will also be available through the America's Learning Exchange pilot site www.alx.org. All recipients are free to duplicate this information. Action: One-Stop Leads are requested to send one copy of the One-Stop Training and Technical Assistance Resources collection to each open One-Stop Career Center in their State. They are also encouraged to share copies with their other system partners.

References: Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-91, 5-91 Change 1, and Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 47-93. Background: The Nontraditional Employment for Women Act (Public Law 102-235), which amended the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), was signed into law on December 12, 1991. In accordance with the Act, pursuant to Section 104(b)(13), each Service Delivery Area (SDA) is to provide information on the extent to which the SDA has met its goals for the training and training-related placement of women in non-traditional employment. Section 122 (b)(6) and (7) state that the SJTCC shall review these reports to take recommendations for technical assistance and corrective action. The SJTCC is also required to prepare a summary of the SDA reports and detail promising service delivery approaches developed in each SDA for the training and placement of women in nontraditional occupations. Reporting: Departmental records indicate that some States have neglected to submit the reports. The requirements discussed in TEGL No. 5-91, Change 1 and TEIN No. 47-93, on disseminating the summary annually to SDAs, service providers throughout the State, and to the Secretary of Labor, are still in effect. Therefore, States are expected to continue submitting these summary reports to the Department of Labor in compliance with the Act and regulations. Reports must be sent each year no later than May 30. Action required: State JTPA Liaisons should ensure that SJTCC Summary Reports are submitted on an annual basis to: U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., N-4469 Washington, D.C. 20210 Attn: Director, OETP

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 new Federal Poverty Income Guidelines were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, February 24, 1998. The guidelines for the LLSIL were published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, May 6, 1998. Attached are copies of these 1998 guidelines. NOTE: The original Federal Register Notice for the LLSIL, Table 4, column five, fourth line should read 20,480, instead of 20,780. It has been corrected in the table attached to this TEIN and will be notated on the Internet. 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, 1998. In future years as well, States may implement guidelines in accordance with the effective dates published in the Federal Register.