From Georgetown University's Center for Education and the Workforce, this report highlights the importance of certificates for workers in the labor market. Specifically, certificates recognize completion of a course of study in a specific field. Certificates can help advancement in the labor market because individuals with certificates earn 20 percent more than high school graduates without postsecondary education, on average. However, increased earnings vary based on a variety of factors, including the field of study. In this report, authors provide information on the population earnings certificates, the earnings return, and the institutions where they are earning certificates.

Through the U.S. Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, the Department awarded 90 grants totaling more than $20 million to fund job training and support services. The services will support the training of more than 11,000 veterans for civilian careers. The Program provides occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services.

This research report was authored through the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. Authors discuss workforce trends and answer the question, "What would a 21st Century workforce system look like if we built it for today's economy, using today's tools and processes?" Currently, key trends include slow economic growth, changing labor markets, advances in information technology, demographic changes, and reduced funding. Using these trends, authors then describe where the workforce development system should be heading to support the economy.

This report details findings from the Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration, which was funded through the Joyce Foundation, JEHT Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Labor. The evaluation was conducted by MDRC, the Urban Institute, and the University of Michigan. The Demonstration included a randomized control trial of a transitional jobs program for men who had recently been released from prison. Findings include that the transitional jobs programs did not significantly affect recidivism within the 2-year follow-up period, and researchers point to a need to develop and enhance the transitional jobs model for serving this population.

The Employment and Training Administration released Training and Employment Notice (TEN) TEN 45-11, to share with the workforce system a joint memorandum by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Assistant Secretary of the Army, and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to agency leadership recommending they encourage their respective field staff build on or create new partnerships to employ young Americans this summer. This memorandum also provides the workforce system with information on partnering with public land management agencies and conservation corps to create or expand summer employment opportunities for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) youth and young adults on public lands.

This paper is from the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and authors use data from the Current Population Survey to summarize labor market trends in the U.S. over the past 30 years. The data show unevenness in labor market performance across demographic groups as inequality has increased. A specific finding from the current recession is that all groups suffered but young, less educated men were affected most significantly.

This summary is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and provides 2011 data on employment in the United States. In 2011, 11.5 percent of families included an unemployed person, falling from 12.4 percent in 2010. The labor force participation rate for mothers with children under age 18 was 70.6 percent in 2011. Authors report on data related to employment, unemployment, and family relationships that are collected as part of the Current Population Survey, which includes 60,000 households.

In April 2012, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse hosted a Technical Assistance Webinar, "Achieving Economic Stability: Strategies for Successfully Connecting Dads to Jobs." This Webinar presented information and strategies to help participants improve their knowledge and understanding of: Federal Department of Labor priorities and programs; employment partnering opportunities for Responsible Fatherhood programs; practical ideas from research to help fathers find and keep jobs; and, promising practices and lessons learned from programs that have successfully helped fathers achieve economic stability. Presenters included:

• Ben Seigel: Deputy Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor;
• Dr. Ronald Mincy: Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, New York; and
• Bob and Kathy Lambert: Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors, Connections to Success, St. Louis, Missouri.

This Webinar highlighted the "Skills to Pay the Bills" curriculum, which was developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). During this Webinar, presenters provided an explanation of why the curriculum was necessary, how it was developed, and additional companion resources that are forthcoming. Mr. Michael Huberman began the discussion by sharing that employers indicate that soft-skills are essential to success in both attaining and maintaining employment. Ms. Lisa Stern of Concepts, Inc. discussed how the curriculum was developed. Feedback was solicited from the field and led to the development of a curriculum that was flexible, but structured, and focused on interactive activities rather than reading. Ms. Mary Coody, Project Director, Madison County High School/High Tech shared her experience using the "Skills to Pay the Bills" curriculum during a 4-6 week pilot with high school students of various ages and disabilities.