This U.S. Department of Labor brief explores how states use financial incentives to expand Registered Apprenticeship (RA) Programs and achieve targeted goals. Incentives are additional financial supports used to increase the number of RA programs and offset the cost for employers in the form of state tax credits or subsidies to apprenticeship sponsors, related technical instruction providers, and other entities responsible for developing RA programs. The brief highlights findings from focus groups conducted with the following eight states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Mississippi.

On-the-job (OJT) training has been proven to be the most effective way to have dislocated workers seek reemployment in today's workforce. WorkforceGPS will host a virtual session on August 16, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET that will highlight best practices and testimonials on OJT effectiveness from Minnesota’s workforce development system staff, employers, and past participants.

The federal government currently has five primary programs designed to feed school-age children: the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Seamless Summer Option, and the Summer Food Service Program. Each program has distinct meal costs, eligibility requirements, and reimbursement processes for the meals served. While all public schools have the option to participate in each of these federal meal programs, they may choose to opt out of any of them. Recognizing the multitude of benefits for students, families, and schools, this report illustrates how five states—California, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, and New Mexico—have acted to independently serve free school meals for all students. In the absence of continued federal investment, this strategy is essential for ensuring that students are well fed and ready to learn during the school day.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration will host a webinar on November 16, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET to introduce CareerOneStop and its tools and resources to new users. CareerOneStop is a free comprehensive career, education, and job website that helps users conduct career exploration, make education and training decisions, search for jobs, and find assistance at the closest American Job Center. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will also moderate.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will host a webinar on August 19, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET to discuss the top ten tools available on CareerOneStop. The webinar will provide guidance on job searching and finding job openings, navigating career options for job seekers returning back to a previous career or changing careers, and connecting job seekers to specialized resources they may need when returning to work. Representatives from the ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will present and moderate this webinar.

This report reviews the use of technology-based learning (TBL), covering employability or soft skills, basic literacy and numeracy, technological literacy, job search skills, and occupational training and certification. It also examines approaches used to increase remote access for TBL, perceived barriers in implementing TBL at American Job Centers, and the American Job Center staff perceptions of the effectiveness of existing TBL services. The report is based on site visits at five state workforce agencies (in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Utah, Minnesota, and California) and nine American Job Centers in these states as they were developing policies for expanding the use of TBL.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration will host a webinar on March 10, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET which will cover the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Grant provisions on virtual and remote service delivery and opportunities to leverage and integrate RESEA services within the public workforce system. Discussion will include case studies from state agencies which have implemented innovative remote and virtual service delivery strategies to continue RESEA services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on additional resources and electronic tools to support virtual and remote RESEA service delivery will also be presented. Presenters will include representatives from the Office of Unemployment Insurance at the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration; the Rhode Island Department of Employment and Training; the Georgia Department of Labor/Workforce Solutions; and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration will host a webinar on March 16, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET to cover best practices in work-based learning at the state level. Work-based learning offers participants the ability to combine employment with training. Presentations will be made by representatives of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, WorkSource Oregon, the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security, the Maricopa County (Arizona) Human Services Department, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Adaptive Construction Solutions, Inc.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will host a webinar on March 4, 2021 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET to discuss the uses of CareerOneStop for individuals currently inside correctional facilities who will be returning to the community. The webinar will also cover pathways, tools, and resources to assist individuals with prior criminal records in engaging in employment and training activities. Presenters include representatives from ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) hosted a webinar on January 28, 2021 to demonstrate how CareerOneStop can provide virtual services to help job seekers find immediate employment and file for unemployment benefits. This webinar was a deeper dive into two CareerOneStop user pathways that were initially presented in the September 24, 2020 “Using CareerOneStop to Provide Virtual Career and Job Services” webinar. Presenters included representatives of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.