Background: Title III funding for PY 1994 has been increased to $1.118 billion, more than twice the level available in PY 1993. At the same time, and independent from the increase in the appropriation, the Department, in consultation with State and local partners, is refocusing the dislocated worker system in order to expand and improve the quality of services and outcomes to dislocated workers and employers. This refocus has been developed through an extensive consultation process and reflects a legislative proposal to be submitted to Congress in 1994 to legislate a new comprehensive dislocated worker program for implementation in PY 1995 based on the following tenets: -- Establish a strong customer focus and orientation which leads to higher levels of customer satisfaction. -- Focus performance management on the attainment of quality-based outcomes; -- Provide maximum flexibility to those involved in direct delivery of services to customers; -- Increase the availability of quality services by expanding service and training options and giving customers more choice in the selection of options; -- Improve the collection and maintenance of data on program quality and LMI to enable the system and individual dislocated workers to make effective selection of service providers and program activities. -- Improve system operations by developing and implementing MIS systems. Plans developed for PY 1994 and PY 1995 based on the tenets outlined above, should focus on two goals: -- Improving Program Quality, and -- Effectively Increasing Program Capacity Changes in PY 1994 should lead to higher levels of performance in PY 1995. Program Goals for PY 1994/1995: During PY 1994/1995, the focus of the States' and SSAs' efforts should be to: -- Improve Program Quality -- Improve the timeliness and effectiveness of early intervention activities, -- Increase the level of earnings recovery/high wage placements, -- Improve the responsiveness of services to the individual needs of the dislocated worker, -- Expand customer choice by providing more options on available services and sources of training, and -- Facilitate timely return to appropriate employment. -- Increase Program Capacity -- Significantly increase the effectiveness of outreach activities, -- Provide assistance to more dislocated workers, -- Provide an expanding variety of services, as well as longer-term training, as needed, -- Enhance cooperation and participation of other agencies in serving dislocated workers, -- Promote increased involvement of the private sector in the planning and provision of assistance to dislocated workers, and -- Increase the capacity of the State's and substates' systems, including staff skills, to provide quality services. The Employment and Training Administration has established a national goal of increasing the level of customer satisfaction among those served by the dislocated worker program by 10% during PY 1994. The Department is currently undertaking a survey of a sample of terminated program participants in order to establish a current measure of customer satisfaction. Planning Process for PY 1994/PY 1995: Current EDWAA legislation requires the submittal of State plans for PY 1994 and PY 1995 to the Department by May 1, 1994. For this cycle, the Department wants to ensure that the plan document is not viewed as an end in itself but as a part of a productive planning process that develops effective State and substate strategies for accomplishing the goals previously described. The Department has developed a proposed planning strategy which promotes a high level of Federal, State-substate interaction throughout the Winter and Spring, and includes an appropriate level of Federal support and guidance. The major components of this strategy are: -- Transmit draft planning guidelines to States November: -- Issuance of policy guidance on various program topics (training waivers, CCEs, needs-related payments, etc.) January: -- State planning briefings/meetings with all SSAs by January -- Provide information on a nationwide basis on recent program performance to all States February: -- Provide ongoing assistance on plan preparation process in the States January-April: -- Preparation of State Title III plans March-April: -- Submission of State Title III plans May: The Department is revising the planning instructions to include both a description of State policies and systems that relate to currently legislated responsibilities, and a description of improvement actions to be undertaken by the State during PY 1994 to increase program quality and program capacity within the State. An important objective of the planning process is developing State/SSA-specific strategies for establishing the capability to meet the goals and policy emphases that may be legislatively implemented. To support this planning process, the Department will set aside and make TAT funds available to each State, for use during PY 1994. These funds are intended to support capacity building efforts needed to achieve the improvements described in the State plan, and to facilitate the State's transition into PY 1995 in the event that new dislocated worker legislation is enacted by the Congress. States will be required to prepare and submit a technical assistance plan for the use of such funds. Action Required: State Worker Adjustment Liaisons are requested to provide this information to the appropriate staff and to all their SSAs as soon as possible, and to proceed to implement the planning process based on the contents of this TEIN.

Background: In 1988, the Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS) signed a contract with Artecon, Inc., to purchase computer systems for the SESAs and the National Office. These systems replaced the older Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) Pro 380 super-microcomputers running the Benefits Quality Control program. Artecon's replacement computer systems were based on Sun 3/60 CPUs, and were configured as multi-user systems. These computers are currently installed in the SESAs and at the National Office, and currently support various QC applications, the UI Required Reporting (UIRR) system, and the Performance Measurement Review (PMR) pilot. The Artecon systems have already become obsolete in today's rapidly changing computer marketplace. The vendors that provide the commercial software and the operating system have effectively abandoned the Artecon platform, and no longer provide new releases or upgrades for these systems. In recognition of the necessity to strategically plan the next migration of the State UI systems, the National Office, together with representatives from the Regions and States, formed a Vision Group that met in July, 1992, to decide on the best course of action for upgrading the Artecon computers. The Vision Group consensus was to upgrade the old equipment with current technology, continuing to run under a UNIX-based operating system capable of supporting Informix. This strategy would allow the National Office and the States to port existing UIS applications onto the new computers with a minimum amount of time and effort. Changes: After researching the marketplace, and developing a Requirements Analysis and Cost Comparison document, the National Office was able to take advantage of an existing contract available to Federal agencies through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to order replacement equipment. Sun Microsystems SPARCstation 10 Model 40 computers were ordered to replace the Artecon computers in the SESAs. The new computers will be integrated into the current system and all existing peripherals (modems, tape drives, terminals, printers, and annex boxes) will continue to be used. Both the Sun SPARCstation and the older Sun 3/60 computers will initially be attached to the system, with all UI applications running solely on the SPARCstation machine. The 3/60 connectivity will provide States the opportunity to move their applications over to the new machine. The UI State Support and Data Processing teams were recently combined to form the UIS Operations and Support (UISOPS) group. This group provides technical support to both States and Regions, and is responsible for system administration of the UI data processing network. They are actively working on porting existing programs and applications from the 3/60 platform to the new machines. They will be available to provide technical assistance to any State requesting help in moving their products onto the new computers. To obtain technical assistance, State System Administrators may contact the Hotline at 1-800-473-0188. The SPARCstation computers will be shipped and installed in all SESAs after the National Office has upgraded all of the commercial software products to the latest available version and release numbers running under Solaris (the new Sun operating system), and after porting the UI applications to the new machines. The new computers will be shipped as turn-key systems, already loaded with all UI software applications. Service technicians will install the new computers and assist the State System Administrators in loading user files. The National Office plans to have the new SPARCstation computers in all States in early 1994. A Site Preparation Guide and an Equipment Specification Manual are currently being prepared and will be distributed to the UI State System Administrators upon completion. The National UI QC Training Center will also be offering a training course on the new system, to include any upgraded commercial software packages. Training should roughly coincide with delivery of the new systems. The National Office also purchased Hewlett Packard Laserjet Model 4SI laser printers off the same contract, to be added as an additional system printer to all State UI systems. Disposal Instructions: Maintenance will be carried on the Artecon computers for approximately 60 days after delivery of the new SPARCstations; after that all support for the 3/60s will end. At that time, in accordance with CFR 29, Part 97.32(g), the equipment may be retained, sold or otherwise disposed of with no further obligation to the Federal Government. New Equipment: Following is a description of the new computers and the additional laser printer ordered for the SESAs: a. Sun SPARCstation 10 Model 40 servers 48 MB Memory 2 x 1.05 GB internal disk drives 16" color monitor 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy drive 644 MB compact disk drive Serial/Parallel controller b. HP Laserjet 4SI Laser Printer 2 MBytes RAM 17 pages per minute 600 x 600 dpi print quality Dual-bin paper handling The new computers are projected to be capable of supporting between 20 to 60 concurrent users and will run at a speed of about 105 MIPS (millions of instructions per second). They will provide between 15-20 times the processing power of the older 3/60 models, at about one-third the cost. A schematic of the new system, with the integrated SPARCstation computer, is attached. Action Required: Administrators are to provide the above information to all appropriate State staff (including all State System Administrators for the SESA UI automated systems).

AWBA Utilization: The attached listing identifies the AWBA which is to be used when computing the weekly amount of disaster unemployment assistance (DUA) for major disasters where the date of the disaster for the individual occurs during the first quarter of FY 1994 (refer to 20 CFR 625.6). The AWBA for each State is based on the total amount of unemployment insurance paid in that State in the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the quarter in which the major disaster began. States shall use the AWBA, rounded to the next higher dollar amount, in the computation of the DUA weekly benefit amount. An updated listing will be provided for each subsequent calendar quarter. Action Required: State Employment Security Agency Administrators are requested to provide this information to appropriate staff.

Reference: Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 58-85 and Beyond the School Doors: The Literacy Needs of Job Seekers Served by the U.S. Department of Labor, by Kirsch, I.S., Jungeblut, A. & Campbell A. (1992). Background: Recognizing the importance of literacy skills in the workplace, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is sponsoring a series of initiatives to address the literacy needs of ETA program clients. These literacy initiatives are built on an earlier effort to report literacy levels of Americans such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Under contract with ETA, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) designed and conducted the DOL Workplace Literacy Survey of the JTPA and ES/UI populations. Building on this survey, ETS developed the WLT. Description of Workplace Literacy Test: The WLT is an assessment instrument that measures three dimensions of literacy: prose comprehension, the ability to read and understand prose; document literacy, the ability to use information found in documents; and quantitative literacy, the ability to set up and solve problems using quantitative information. The assessment items are built on tasks that adults frequently encounter in their daily lives. In addition, the test items making up this assessment were developed in a manner that was faithful to a logical cognitive model that attempts to define how adults approach and perform these types of tasks. Pilot Project Objectives and Description: The purposes of the WLT Implementation Pilot Project are to: 1) inform ETA programs about the WLT, 2) determine the validity of WLT procedures, 3) develop procedure manuals, 4) establish a standardized scoring system, and 5) obtain information to determine whether the WLT can be used for the following purposes: -- providing literacy profiles on clients for use in vocational counseling and remedial programs (e.g., JTPA); and -- measuring changes in literacy skills associated with participation in various training programs. Approximately eighty sites will be included in the pilot project. (Sites to be selected will include SESA local offices, State JTPA and EDWAA programs and projects.) As soon as sites are obtained ETS will schedule a one-day training session in each of the ten DOL Regions. ETS will supply sites with test booklets, score the test, and provide score reports at no charge to the sites. Participant responsibilities include: 1) administering the WLT test to 100-300 individuals during the next year, 2) keeping the test instruments secure, 3) returning completed tests for scoring. Each of these responsibilities will be described in more detail by ETS at the training sessions. Use of the WLT: The WLT can be used to meet federal requirements for reporting the literacy levels of JTPA clients. According to the Standardized Program Information Report instructions, DOL will consider either grade level or raw scores from such tests as the WLT to be in compliance with reporting requirements. Limitations of the WLT: The WLT test results cannot be used for hiring or promotional purposes, nor for counseling or training individuals in literacy level requirements for specific occupations. Action: States are requested to provide this information to appropriate JTPA, EDWAA, or SESA entities and request that interested parties contact Jules Goodison, ETS Co-project Director by December 10, 1993, at 1-800-223-0267 or by telefacsimile (609) 734-1878.

Background: Title II, Section 201 of Public Law 102-318 amended the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 by providing for an alternative trigger mechanism for determining a State's eligibility to pay EB: a 3-month average seasonally adjusted TUR. The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the official source of this data. The criteria necessary for a State to be eligible to pay 13 weeks of EB based on the TUR trigger are: (a) the average rate of total unemployment (seasonally adjusted) for the most recent 3-month period for which data for all States are published must equal or exceed 6.5 percent; (b) that rate must equal or exceed 110 percent of the rate for the corresponding 3 months in either of the prior two years; and (c) the State must have a provision in its law to utilize the TUR as an alternative EB trigger. If the 3-month average TUR equals or exceeds 8.0 percent and is at least 110 percent of the TUR for the corresponding 3-month period in either of the prior two years, the State enters a "high unemployment period" in which 20 weeks of EB are payable. Revisions to Historical Data: At the end of each calendar year, BLS routinely makes revisions to its historical data. The labor force, employment and unemployment data are revised to incorporate updated population data from the Bureau of the Census and any revisions in other data sources; seasonal adjustment factors are modified and econometric models are re-estimated to include the experience of that year; and the monthly estimates are "benchmarked" to equal the CPS annual averages. Effective immediately, these revised historical data will be incorporated in the computation of TUR percentages of prior years as soon as they are published. However, no State's EB status will change retroactively based on revised data. BLS will be the official source of all data used to make the EB 3-month average TUR computation, and BLS will make all of these computations using their standard methodologies. Action Required: State Administrators are requested to provide the above information to all appropriate staff.

Reference: Training and Employment Information Notice (TEIN) No. 20-92. Background: These TAGs were prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) by the Center for Human Resources of the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis University. The Center is one of the Nation's leading research, training, and policy development organizations in the fields of youth development, employment, and education. "Assessment for At-Risk Youth: A Practitioner's Guide to Definitions, Guiding Principles, and Implementation Strategies" has been prepared to help youth practitioners understand the importance of assessment and its basic components. The guide goes beyond the essential components of a comprehensive, integrated, quality assessment system by addressing key questions. The "Assessment for At-Risk Youth: A Decision Maker's Summary" serves as a companion piece to the Practitioner's Guide. It has been prepared to help line practitioners, managers, and policy makers understand what it takes to build and manage an effective assessment system that meets public accountability expectations and youth employability development needs. It complements the previously issued "Improving Assessment" TAG. The "A Guide to Program Design Options for Serving At-Risk Youth" synthesizes the major themes involved in youth program design and walks through the basic components of youth program planning and implementation. Advance copies of the TAGs were distributed at the DOL sponsored train-the-trainer sessions on Youth Assessment and Program Design Options held the weeks of September 27, October 18, and November 1. These TAGs are part of a series of technical assistance guides and training being developed to assist States and service delivery areas (SDAs) in the implementation of quality JTPA programs. In addition to these TAGs, the series will include technical assistance guides and training in critical program areas such as: Case Management; SDA Monitoring of Service Providers; Targeting, Outreach and Recruitment; On-the-Job Training; Financial Management; Procurement; and State Oversight. Distribution: Copies of the TAGs are being provided under separate cover to all State Liaisons for distribution to: -- SDAs (4 copies each); -- State Worker Adjustment Liaison (3 copies); -- State Employment Service Administrator (one copy); and -- State JTPA agency (balance of copies). The TAGs have been prepared in a loose-leaf format suitable for use in a three-ring binder. Computer disks are also being provided to the State Liaisons for the distribution of one each to the SDAs.

References: The Trade Act of 1974 as amended; regulations at 20 CFR 617; GAL 4-89, and Change l; Section C of APPENDIX A to GAL 15-90; and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Audit Report No. 05-93-008-03-330. Background: The OIG recently completed an audit of the TAA Program in nine selected States. The OIG conducted the audit to determine if the TAA program assisted workers to find suitable employment and, where training was needed, how States managed their training efforts. States audited were Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The OIG concluded that ETA and the States did not know if the program is effective in assisting workers to return to suitable employment. The OIG felt that data necessary to evaluate the program are not available because clearly defined objectives, follow up and relevant performance measures are lacking. Among its recommendations, the OIG indicated that ETA should strengthen controls over the granting of waivers from the TAA training requirement if it is to meet the training and reemployment goals for workers implied by the Trade Act. Among the waiver issues cited by the OIG were: no evidence that waivers were periodically reviewed as required; lack of documentation showing special conditions or other justifications for waivers; and numerous cases in which waivers may have been granted for unreasonable time periods, were counterproductive, or may have been contrary to the intent of the program. The OIG also reported that States used waivers to allow participants to receive TRA payments, even though training may have been feasible and appropriate in many cases . This practice may be a disincentive for training and send mixed signals about the priorities of the TAA program. This GAL restates the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) guidance for issuance of TAA certifications waiving workers' participation in TAA training and administrative processes which States must have in place to ensure proper administration of the waiver of training requirements. States' Responsibility: States have a positive responsibility to ensure that certifications waiving workers' participation in TAA training are granted only when it has been determined that training is not feasible or appropriate. GAL 15-90 provides specific guidance to the States on how to make a determination on whether training is "feasible or appropriate" for a TAA applicant. A determination on whether training is "feasible or appropriate" is made by evaluating whether training suitable for the worker is available, the training is approvable under Section 236, and the worker is able to take full advantage of the training and complete the training. In addition, full funding for the training must be available and the training must commence within thirty days of approval. In addition, when a State agency makes a determination that the training requirement will be waived for an individual, the State agency must issue a written certification to the individual of such a finding. State agencies are also required to develop a procedure to review these certifications every 30 days or less to ensure that the conditions upon which the certification was granted continue to exist. If conditions under which a waiver certification was issued have changed, the certification must be revoked if it is determined that training is now appropriate. Finally, State agencies must also develop procedures for compiling and reporting on the number of certifications issued and revoked, by reason. Although State agencies are not required to forward copies of individual waivers to the Department, Regional staff responsible for TAA activities will check random samples of waivers during regular ETA reviews. Operating instructions on State responsibilities for providing certifications waiving workers' participation in TAA training are issued in Section C of APPENDIX A of GAL 15-90, dated August 21, 1990. Action Required: The OIG findings underscore the importance of implementing and adhering to administrative controls on the issuances of waivers. States must inform all appropriate staff of the content of this GAL and implement the following actions. a. Review the State TAA program and ensure that State certifications waiving workers' participation in TAA training are granted, documented and reviewed in accordance with the guidelines described in TAA program operating instructions at Section C of APPENDIX A to GAL 15-90. b. Determine what procedures and administrative controls, if any, the State needs to have implemented to ensure that waivers are being reviewed every 30 days to determine the current standing of the waiver. c. Implement corrective action or procedures, where needed, to ensure that the State is able to compile and report on certifications and revocations in a timely and accurate manner and that the State administration of TAA training waivers is in accordance with TAA program operating instructions at Section C of APPENDIX A to GAL 15-90.

Average Weekly Benefit Amount (AWBA) Utilization: On May 11, 1995, the Department published an interim final rule in the Federal Register (60 FR 25560), which amended Section 625.6 effective for all major disasters declared on and after that date. Among the changes, the amendments provide that the minimum weekly DUA amount will be 50 percent of the AWBA paid in the State for regular compensation, unless workers are customarily or routinely employed less than full-time prior to their unemployment due to the disaster. The attached listing sets forth the 50 percent of AWBA computation applicable for major disasters declared during the first quarter of FY 1996, from October 1 through December 31, 1995. Action Required: SESA Administrators are requested to provide this information to appropriate staff and insure that the correct AWBA is utilized in determining the weekly DUA amount.

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