The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to provide information and resources to support the use of Registered Apprenticeship by the workforce investment system as an effective approach to building a skilled and competitive workforce in regional economies.

The 21st century economy demands a workforce with postsecondary education credentials, and the adaptability to respond immediately to changing economic and business needs. The public workforce system is playing a leadership role in meeting these demands by catalyzing the implementation of innovative talent development and lifelong learning strategies that will enable American workers to advance their skills and remain competitive in the global economy. Registered Apprenticeship, a critical postsecondary education, training, and employment option available in every state in the country, is an important component of these talent development strategies. Registered Apprenticeship is business- and industry-driven, with more than 29,000 programs impacting 250,000 employers and almost 450,000 apprentices —predominantly in high-growth industries that face critical skilled worker shortages now and in the foreseeable future. Full collaboration between the publicly funded workforce investment system and Registered Apprenticeship leverages each system’s strengths to maximize the benefits in the context of regional talent development strategies.

This TEGL provides information, examples, and policy guidance to support the full integration of Registered Apprenticeship into workforce system activities. The document is one of a number of products that the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is releasing to assist regions in developing Workforce Investment Act and apprenticeship efforts that are mutually supportive.

To provide guidance for the preparation and submission of the PY 2002 Wagner-Peyser Act Agricultural Services Submissions with the Strategic Five-Year State Plan under the Workforce Investment (WIA) Act of 1998.

To provide state workforce agencies with revised reporting instructions for the ETA 9002 and VETS 200 reports, contained in the ET Handbook No. 406. The Handbook contains the forms and specifications for completion of the quarterly ETA 9002 and VETS 200 reports.

To provide procedures implementing the amendment to Section 193 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 enacted by the Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007, Public Law (P.L.) 110-5.

To provide all SCSEP applicants with grant application instructions and procedures for Program Year (PY) 2007, beginning July 1, 2007.

The intent of this guidance is to further clarify the application of the literacy/numeracy measure, initially provided in Attachment C, Educational Functional Level Descriptors, in Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 17-05, issued February 17, 2006. This change TEGL only addresses specific reporting changes for the Youth literacy/numeracy measure.

To provide guidance to State Workforce Agencies responsible for Wagner-Peyser labor exchange services for the continued use of reemployment services allotments for Program Year (PY) 2001 and guidance for obtaining and using PY 2002 program allotments announced in Training and Employment Guidance Letter 13-01.

a) To transmit guidance for submission of modifications to State Strategic Five-Year Plans for title I of the Workforce Investment Act and the Wagner-Peyser Act; b) To encourage use of the modification process to add additional partners to the One-Stop System and move toward unified planning; and c) To announce the reinstatement of the Planning Guidance and Instructions for Submission of the Strategic Five-Year Plan for title I of the Workforce Investment Act and the Wagner-Peyser Act, i.e., the guidance for stand-alone planning originally issued February 25, 1999.

To correct the examples provided in TEGL No. 23-01,(see page3, Example (ii) and Example(iv))

To clarify how to assign skill levels to jobs when making a prevailing wage determination for foreign labor certification purposes.