This is a blog post by Diane Wood of the Office of Unemployment Insurance, Employment and Training Administration.

Would you like to learn about a new initiative that 34 states have implemented to monitor UI claimant eligibility and help UI claimants return to work?. Then, you will want to learn more about the Re-employment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) initiative that has brought large numbers of UI claimants into the One-Stop Career Center to learn about available services.  Please review our Webinar at http://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001002247077825152/info

The Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment (REA) initiative began in 2005 when 21 states got grants to focus additional attention on claimants.  Many claimants filed their UI claim over the telephone or the Internet and might not have been aware of the many re-employment services that were available to them at their local One-Stop Career Center.  The REA grants provided funds for staff to serve those claimants when they reported to the office in-person.  During the REA staff members review claimants’ availability for work and their recent work search activities.  They then provide labor market information that is geared towards the work that each individual is seeking.  Finally they introduce them to the plethora of available re-employment services including both staff assisted services and self service opportunities.  The REA program is designed to get claimants back to work and to reduce erroneous payments.

Want answers and ideas as to what communities across the country have done, and plan to do, to better understand the unemployed segment of their talent pool and connect them to jobs? Then, we've got a story along with a PowerPoint to tell and show you!

...About a year and half ago, DOL began to brainstorm some technical assistance efforts to reconnect Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants to reemployment opportunities. One question that came up was how are regions tapping the unemployed worker segment of their talent pool? This generated more questions like -- are they being connected to growth occupations? Are regions doing skills based matching and analysis? What jobs are growing and how do we connect the unemployed to these opportunities on the other side of the economic downturn? We thought regions would know the demand occupations and would have done the homework to understand the skill-sets of other segments of the talent pool -- possibly incumbent workers and youth. Still we were uncertain...what about the unemployed workers? Had regions mapped out the skills of the unemployed workers? Had the regions analyzed how these skills transferred to current employment opportunities in the region? Had the regions identified skill gaps with businesses experiencing labor shortages...or were poised to experience a labor shortage on the other side of the economic downturn? The result of a study conducted as part of the Reemployment technical assistance effort has been added to the Reemployment Community of Practice. We encourage you to check out this Webinar recording and PowerPoint and look forward to feedback.

My name is Shannon Gutheil and I was asked to highlight the experiences I have had working with trade-affected individuals first-hand and how the HCTC Program has helped them. 

Over the last 6 years working with trade-affected workers there have been many challenges they face and health care is one of the biggest.

The HCTC program and benefit has been able to help alleviate some of the stress that comes with layoff. When people find out about HCTC I see the light go on in their eyes and a smile emerge on their face. They sometimes can’t believe what they are being offered. The details and process are sometimes hard for them to grasp, but once they understand what steps they need to take to access HCTC benefits you hear a sigh of relief. For many workers, continuation of health care is an option they grapple with over and over because of bottom line costs. They are trying to answer the questions “How am I going to keep health care with COBRA costs being so high? How am I going to take care of my family if they get sick without insurance?” These are questions I hear at my desk almost daily when working with trade-affected workers. A great percentage of workers we serve on the front lines are the sole carriers of health insurance for their families and when they loose their jobs this compounds their stress levels, which in turn can increase their risk for getting sick – thus meaning they need to keep their health care coverage even more. Knowing they have HCTC available to them, as long as they meet all criteria, can help relieve this burden and help them focus on re-tooling their skills and/or gaining new employment.  

When trade-affected workers utilize and are eligible for HCTC benefits, it is truly a great benefit to have available.

Shannon Gutheil, TAA Counselor at the Ft. Collins Workforce Center, Colorado

WORKSHOP

Building Service Bridges for UI Claimants


Reconnecting UI claimant to the One-Stop System: The Wisconsin Job Service, Minnesota DEED, USDOL ETA and Washington DC will discuss new initiatives and strategic efforts to bridge this gap. 

 

The transition from in-person unemployment insurance (UI) claims processing to remote processing resulted in the unintended disconnection of UI claimants from the One-Stop System. This workshop will highlight the efforts of two states that have developed innovative strategies through the Reemployment Service (RES), Reemployment Eligibility Assessment (REA) and Worker Profiling Reemployment Service (WPRS) initiatives to re-connect claimants to One-Stops and Labor Exchange, and integrate state and local services to help UI claimants find new employment or skills training. Topics covered will include:  changes in state policy and procedures; how UI claimants bridge the gap between the initial claims and connect to the One-Stop System; the types of services provided by One-Stops; program outcomes, and; the internal staffing and hiring processes necessary to service UI claimants effectively with scarce resources.

Is there anything specific you’d like the presenters to address?

Do you have any experience with this topic? 

Ask questions, share your ideas and best practices, post your comments and help build an interactive learning community!

WORKSHOP

Expanding Opportunities for Mature Jobseekers through Innovative Partnerships

Innovations in the expansion of opportunities for the mature jobseeker: Mature Services, Inc.,SCSEP and Easter Seals will discuss several new pathways for improving opportunities for the mature worker during these tough economic times. 

 

Mature Services,Inc. and Easter Seals, Inc. are both DOL grantees providing employment and training services for mature job seekers with funding from WIA, SCSEP and fee for services.   

Our panel will present the following strategies that  improve customer relationships and expand opportunities:
• Use of  employer and participant advisory boards to provide direct involvement and feedback on the administration,  service delivery and employer needs;
• Use of LinkedIn to promote an open exchange of ideas, job opportunities,  networking and peer-to- peer collaboration;
• Use of a call center lab to solicit feedback from employers on hiring needs, training requirements and  to develop interest in services available to employers.

Is there anything specific you’d like the presenters to address?

Do you have any experience with this topic? 

Ask questions, share your ideas and best practices, post your comments and help build an interactive learning community!

WORKSHOP

  Transitioning Ex-Offenders into Today's Workforce

How can an offender survive today's economy?  The Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Corrections will discuss proven methods to prepare offenders for the transition from incarceration to employment.

 

(Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Department of Corrections)
Learn about key strategies deployed in Iowa that launched a successful Reentry Program.  Partnerships betweenIowa’s Department of Corrections and the Iowa Workforce Development were established to prepare offenders for transition from incarceration to employment.  The partnership ensures offenders receive labor market information, skill requirements, and overcoming obstacles in their employment search.  Learn how these agencies worked cooperatively to engage the employer community and provide assessment, skills upgrading and transitional preparation to offenders reentering the workforce.

Is there anything specific you’d like the presenters to address?

Do you have any experience with this topic? 

Ask questions, share your ideas and best practices, post your comments and help build an interactive learning community!