The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration will host a webinar on June 22, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET which will examine the assessment and development of soft skills for job seekers. Presenters will share how they selected and implemented soft skills assessment tools in their organizations, and discuss tips and advice for improving the soft skills of job seekers. Speakers include representatives of GPS Education Partners, the Alamo Colleges District, the State of Arizona, and the Washington Greene County Job Training Agency, Inc.

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Youth Solutions project will host a three-day virtual conference from June 9, 2021 to June 11, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET each day to share program and policy proposals that provide innovative, evidence-based strategies to raise employment among youth and young adults who apply for or receive SSI. The proposals are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.

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 Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation seeks applications for cooperative agreements to create an African American Child and Family Research Center. The proposed Center will lead and support research on the needs of African American populations that are served by ACF programs and will help identify promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among low-income African American populations. Key topics of interest for the Center will include research on educational and employment experiences and outcomes, experiences with human services, discrimination, effects of criminal justice system involvement, program evaluation, and distinctive experiences in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Applications are due by July 12, 2021.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) report assesses the impact of the Year Up model over a three to five-year follow-up period. Year Up, one of nine programs that OPRE is evaluating in the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education project, is a national, yearlong training program for youth between 18 and 24 years old. The program provides instruction in technical skills, business communications, and behaviors for success at work in the first six months, followed by a six-month internship with local employers.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has released a funding opportunity announcement for the Appalachian and Delta regions. Grant awards are intended to align with regional and comprehensive approaches to address economic distress and provide necessary workforce development activities so that dislocated and other workers can succeed in current and future job opportunities. ETA encourages applicants to include strategies to address the employment and training needs of individuals affected by substance use disorder. Applications are due by July 21, 2021.

This set of resources identifies toolkits, tip sheets, webcasts, and other guidance on how to address partnerships for specific youth populations under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These resources cover several topics, such as employer engagement, serving homeless and runaway youth, collaborative opportunities for vocational rehabilitation, serving youth in foster care or with juvenile records, rural youth, and partnerships with TANF.

This report assesses the Families Forward Demonstration (FFD), which aimed to integrate employment and training within child support programs. The FFD program included free occupational skills training, employment services, and wraparound supports. FFD emphasized “responsive” child support services that helped parents understand their support obligations, and suspended some enforcement actions as parents participated in the program. FFD was implemented in five jurisdictions: Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Franklin County, Ohio; Calhoun and Jackson Counties, Michigan; Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties, Washington; and New York City.

The National Association of Workforce Boards will host its annual meeting as a hybrid event on June 24, 2021 to June 26, 2021. Sessions covering four primary topics—Thought Leaders; Demonstrating Results; the Future of Work; and Building Skills - Reaching the Learner Where They Are—support the Forum’s theme, “Pathways to Excellence” as the key areas in which workforce development boards need to focus their attention and resources to meet the individual and employer needs of their communities. There is a fee to register for this event.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation has released a funding opportunity announcement to provide funding and technical support for evaluation-related activities to organizations implementing interventions to improve self-sufficiency among families with low incomes. These 24-month cooperative agreements are intended for organizations that seek to strengthen and evaluate coordinated, client-centered approaches to improving self-sufficiency. No prior experience in research and evaluation is required. Grantees will work with federally funded, third-party evaluation technical assistance providers that will offer customized support to recipients in designing, implementing, and evaluating their proposed interventions. A letter of intent is due by June 2, 2021 and a full application is due by July 2, 2021.