TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NOTICE NO. 17-03

TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NOTICE

NO. 17-03

DATE
April 6, 2004

TO: ALL STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
ALL STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS

/s/

FROM:	Emily Stover DeRocco Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:

Announcing the Recognition of Excellence and Application Process

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is pleased to sponsor the first annual Recognition of Excellence on behalf of the nation’s workforce investment system. To recognize superior employment and training related programs and improve system performance, ETA has established a system to recognize high levels of success by entities managing and partnering with ETA funded programs. ETA recognizes that achieving commendable outcomes requires much more than statutory or regulatory compliance. Therefore, high levels of success should be recognized, and it is ETA’s hope that this recognition process will facilitate the exponential replication of promising practices throughout the workforce investment system.

This Recognition of Excellence replaces other awards programs that were administered on ETA’s behalf in the past. ETA is requesting applications in order to select honorees, which will be showcased at the Workforce Innovations Conference in July 2004. Through this conference, thousands of workforce investment professionals from across the nation will be able to learn about the promising practices of the honorees. The applications are for recognition and not a monetary award.

Honorees in five separate categories will be recognized:

Educating America’s 21st Century Workforce
Building an Industry/Business Driven Workforce Investment System
E3 Partnerships
Recognizing the Demographics of the Workforce

Serving Out-of School Youth

Honorees will be selected based on an application package that demonstrates that the project, program or initiative is innovative, collaborative, resulted in positive performance outcomes, linked services to occupations in demand, economic development and community benefit, and is replicable.

This recognition supports the Department of Labor's goals of ensuring:

A Prepared Workforce: Enhancing opportunities for America’s workforce
A Secure Workforce: Promoting the economic security of workers and families
A Competitive Workforce: Addressing demand for new, replacement and skilled workers

Any state or local program, project or initiative, including national program grantees, funded through ETA activities, or in which an ETA funded activity is one integral component, may apply. The program, project or initiative must have been operational at some point in time within the last two program years (the current program year and/or the previous program year).

Selected honorees will be recognized at a plenary session during the Workforce Innovation 2004 conference. Honorees will also receive free registration at the conference.

Applications must arrive at DOL by 4:00 p.m. on May 10, 2004. Applications received after that date will not be considered. If you have questions about the system of recognition or application, contact Adele Gagliardi at (202) 693-3700 or gagliardi.adele@dol.gov.

To learn more about this process, and receive instructions on how to apply, see the attached criteria.

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Washington, DC 20210



TO:	ALL STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES ALL STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS