The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) offers a pre-recorded webinar series to provide an overview and introduction to workforce development for new professionals in the field. Curriculum components include: Workforce History; From WIA to WIOA; Policy Layers – How They Work Together and The Importance of Each; Programs and Expected Outcomes; What is LMI?; Working with Business Services; Communication; and Extreme Customer Service. All courses include quizzes and exams, and passing scores are required to attain a Certificate of Completion. Coursework can be accessed and completed at any time between August 17 and September 11. Registration and tuition fees for participating in the Virtual Academy apply to NAWDP members and non-members.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration manages the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) program, which provides grants to states to assist individuals receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. This set of resources provides updated information on operations, performance reporting, and guidance and tools for compliance with evidence-based requirements of the RESEA program. The resources are intended to support RESEA grantees in meeting the program’s four intended purposes: reduce UI duration through improved employment outcomes; strengthen UI program integrity; promote alignment with the vision of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and establish RESEA as an entry point to other workforce system partners.

This report assesses how place-based employment programs can help families navigate support systems, address needs during the pandemic, and help participants reengage with work when the labor market reopens. The report highlights Jobs Plus, an employment program that has been implemented in 35 public housing developments across the country, and includes on-site employment-related services, rent-based work incentives, and a community context supporting work. The community context includes partnerships among local housing agencies, the local workforce development agencies, training providers, employers, and significant social service agencies. The report also highlights evidence of increased earnings among Jobs Plus participants and operational tips for housing agencies as they help families.

The U.S. Interagency Council on Economic Mobility, a new federal interagency effort, includes the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), along with the Social Security Administration; the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Treasury; and the Council of Economic Advisors. The Council seeks to develop an effective structure for interagency collaboration and to use federal officials to promote careers and economic mobility for low-income Americans. The Council requests input from stakeholders (such as state and local government agencies, local program operators, and the people that they serve) through a request for information (RFI). The RFI includes questions such as: What priorities should the new Council have? What suggestions do you have on how to make federal workforce and work support programs work together more effectively? and What barriers do these programs encounter for them to work effectively? The deadline for comments is October 2, 2020.

A webinar about the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse will be held on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. The Pathways Clearinghouse is a new resource funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) of the Administration for Children and Families. Designed to meet the needs of employment service providers and TANF administrators and support the use of evidence-based practices, the Pathways Clearinghouse provides trustworthy, accessible information about what works to help job seekers with low incomes find and sustain employment. During this discussion, a panel of experts from Mathematica and OPRE will:

• Identify why and how the Pathways Clearinghouse website is relevant and useful;
• Demonstrate website functionalities and features; and
• Navigate the site and walk through practical examples of how it can be used.

Contact PathwaysClearinghouse@mathematica-mpr.com with any questions or concerns.

Please note: Anyone needing assistance before the webinar should contact events@mathematica-mpr.com. Please email any requests for special accommodations by August 10, 2020.

This Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin at Madison webinar examined what can be known in real time about recent changes in poverty. Specific questions covered in the webinar included:

• How did the nature of the pre-Covid economy create risks for poverty? How do these risks vary across demographic groups and geographies?
• What likely has happened to poverty rates and what will happen over the next several months as a result of the Covid-19 economic fall-out?
• To what extent have initial federal policy responses buffered any effects on poverty? (And what factors may be limiting their anti-poverty potential?)
• What factors and data should researchers, advocates, and policymakers be tracking now and in the coming months?      

Speakers included researchers from the University of Washington, Urban Institute, Columbia University, American University, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

This report reviews the definition of a “good job” and reflects on the evidence for this definition as part of a broader contextual discussion of adequate wages, benefits, stable work schedules, occupational safety, positive work environment, and potentials for advancement and economic mobility. The report looks at how additional research and data can support a better understanding of job quality and worker mobility.

This dataset from the Annie E. Casey Foundation is the 31st edition that follows and ranks states on metrics related to child well-being. The data reflects trends prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Particular focus is on four larger categories of trend analysis: economic well-being, education, family and community, and health. Additionally, there are individual state profiles with relevant data that are presented as user-friendly fact sheets.

The National Association of Counties will host a webinar on August 6, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to cover how county governments are using Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to deliver services to county employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This webinar covers how funds have been used to support sustainable employment and training of frontline county workers.

This blogpost highlights discussions with representatives of 13 schools, districts, and program intermediaries that provide work-based learning opportunities. Representatives discuss the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on onsite opportunities, such as apprenticeships, internships, career mentoring, and job shadowing. Opportunities and adaptions for virtual workplace learning created as a result of the pandemic and the potential for long-term benefits to participants are also discussed.