The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration’s Division of Youth Services has produced a set of three webcasts to support the planning and implementation of WIOA youth programs. Webcast topics include: Employer Engagement; Partner Engagement (to include other non-employer stakeholders who offer supportive services and training to youth participants); and the Recruitment and Retention of Out-of-School Youth.

The National Association of Workforce Boards will host its annual conference as a virtual forum from June 29, 2020 to July 2, 2020. The forum will feature issue sessions, industry roundtables, workshops, and intensive technical assistance sessions with representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor and other partner Federal agencies. (Please note that registration fees are required to attend the Forum.)

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration has compiled a set of resources to guide stakeholders in understanding the components of apprenticeship and creating and running a successful apprenticeship program. The resources include: Introduction to Apprenticeship: A Five-Part Toolkit; Building Registered Apprenticeship Programs: A Quick-Start Toolkit; Registered Apprenticeship 101 (a webinar series); Five Elements of Apprenticeship Expansion (includes lessons learned from state apprenticeship expansion); Registering Apprenticeship Programs: The Basics, Challenges, and Solutions; and Apprenticeship On-the-Job Learning FAQ Sheet.

This report presents findings of 160 frontline staff and managers in the workforce systems of seven states and summarizes three virtual roundtable discussions with 31 participants who received workforce services. The report identifies where “second responders” or workforce development professionals in the field adapted to a virtual environment, as well as concerns for providing workforce services over the long haul when staff have limited knowledge or training in virtual technology.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever for state, local, and tribal human services leaders serving children and families to provide a Whole Family response. To assist in this effort, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Regional Operations offers an updated list of resources, guidance, and tip sheets with information on ACF funding flexibilities and the whole family approach. This compendium includes:

• ACF Mandatory Program COVID-19 Program Flexibilities, Guidance and Resources (including information from the Office of Child Care, instructions on TANF allowable funds, letters and transmittal reports from the Children’s Bureau, and updates from the Office of Child Support Enforcement); and 

• Whole Family Approach to COVID-19 Response (including coverage about funding and flexibilities from Food and Nutrition Services programs, resources for working parents, and updates to funding resources for career and technical education programs and higher education institutions. There is also information about resources available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to address mental health and substance use disorders and behavioral health challenges as well as funding available at the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand rural health center and telehealth capacity. Support for homeless housing and rental assistance, families living in public housing, and families in need under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is also identified.)

June 2, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the federally funded Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services’ (OSERS) Rehabilitation Services will host a webinar on June 2, 2020 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT and pay tribute to this historical occasion by showcasing “Success Stories” of how the VR program helped change the lives of students and adults with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration has presented a set of resources and guidance for workforce development entities. These resources include updated requirements on grants management and performance reporting for all U.S. Department of Labor-funded programs. A set of frequently asked questions addresses the National Farmworker Jobs Program, the Indian and Native American Program, the Senior Community Service Employment Program, the Trade Act or Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, the operations of American Job Centers and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), WIOA-funded Layoff Aversion Activities and Rapid Response, WIOA-funded Youth grants, WIOA Dislocated Worker grants, WIOA Performance Outcomes, and WIOA waiver flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation webpage provides links to program snapshots that highlight program outcomes for the following Tribal HPOG 2.0 Program grantees: Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. and Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, Turtle Mountain Community College, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. These snapshots highlight descriptive results from the HPOG Participant Accomplishment and Grant Evaluation System (PAGES) as well as qualitative data from the Tribal HPOG 2.0 evaluation.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will host a webinar on May 4, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET to discuss how to manage WIOA youth programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters from the ETA will answer participant questions and share resources and best practices.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Jobs for the Future (JFF) planned to convene individuals working in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors in person for its biennial workforce development and education summit on June 9 and June 10, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, JFF has decided to transition to a free virtual event to be held in June 2020. JFF plans to reconvene in person in New Orleans in June of 2021.