The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Workforce Investment will host a webinar on June 21, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET which will highlight successful initiatives to foster Recovery-Friendly Workplaces. It is part of a series on the role of the workforce system in serving individuals with substance use disorder. Guest speakers from Recovery Friendly Workplace initiatives in New Hampshire and Rhode Island will discuss how those initiatives benefit communities, businesses, and the lives of individuals. This webinar will also focus on the role of the public workforce system in implementing these initiatives.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) co-hosted a webinar on May 25, 2022 to provide an overview of registered apprenticeships, share available resources to develop and support early care and education (ECE) apprenticeship programs, and highlight successful national, state, and local models.

Katie Hamm, ACF Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, spoke about the importance of bringing all three agencies together to address critical shortages in the ECE workforce, which is still at 89% of pre-pandemic levels. These shortages impact families’ ability to go to work, as well as children’s access to early learning opportunities. Other speakers included Katherine Neas, Deputy Assistant Secretary, ED Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and Wendy Chun-Hoon, Director of the DOL Women’s Bureau.

On January 4, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a Training and Employment Notice providing local workforce boards, American Job Centers, workforce development partners, and grantees with information on supporting community violence intervention strategies that include an employment or workforce component. This brief offers recommendations for supporting the design and implementation of community violence interventions, based on research and evidence-based practice.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Workforce Investment and the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) will host a webinar on June 9, 2022 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET as part of a summer series of technical assistance on the role of the workforce system in serving individuals with substance use disorders. Guest speakers from CPWR will discuss how opioid use among the construction workforce has impacted the construction industry and the preventions the organization is currently implementing to fight opioid substance abuse.

The Reentry and Employment Opportunities – Adult Program (REO) is designed to strengthen urban communities through an employment-centered program that incorporates mentoring, job training, and other comprehensive transitional services. The REO Community website provides new ideas and tools to do the invaluable work of changing lives and renewing futures of former offenders. The website includes information on:

• Improving program practices, including case management and mentoring
• Supporting transitions for ex-offenders, including program and job retention
• Strengthening partnerships to provide strong supportive services and seamless transitions
• Ensuring sustainability for programs

Holistic support services are critical to increasing skills training access, completion, and connection to quality jobs. This webinar video recording examined how intentional investments in supportive services help to address racial wealth gaps and the unprecedented rates of basic needs insecurity facing today’s students — adult learners who are balancing work, school, and family responsibilities. Speakers also discussed how community college, training provider, and community partner staff can help learners navigate education, public benefit, and resource options to ensure that resources go to those who need them the most.

Breaking Barriers was a San Diego-based program that provided employment services to individuals with low incomes and disabilities who were looking for work. The program used the Individual Placement and Support model. This report summarizes findings from an earlier program evaluation report and presents new impact findings based on administrative records from the National Directory of New Hires. These records include information on study participants’ quarterly employment and earnings over an extended, two-year follow-up period.