WorkforceGPS is hosting a virtual event on August 22, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET that will provide front facing resources to American Job Center (AJC) staff serving veterans. Participants will learn about the various roles AJC and public workforce system staff play in serving veterans. They will gain a refresher on services available to veterans through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Wagner-Peyser, and Jobs for Veterans State Grants programs. Participants will also learn about resources available through the National Veterans’ Training Institute to improve service delivery to veterans.

The National Association of State Workforce Agencies is hosting a three-webinar series that targets frontline workers responsible for collecting data directly from customers. Participants may interact with individual claimants, jobseekers and employers through the Unemployment Insurance programs, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs, or other workforce development programs and services. Participants will emerge better understanding:
• The critical role of data in data-based decision-making
• Typically available datasets and reports
• How to apply available datasets and reports

Sessions include:
1. Data Quality: The Foundation for Trustworthy Decision will take place on July 2, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET.
2. Decoding Data: Understanding the Reports You Use will take place on July 16, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET.
3. Data-Driven Service: Using Reports to Enhance Customer Interactions will take place on July 30, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) improves services for people to find and keep jobs, and requires vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to use some of the money they receive from the federal government (about $1 of every $7) for pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS) for students with disabilities. Youth with disabilities, including those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), might need support for finding and training for jobs beyond what school traditionally offers. Students with disabilities often do not have as many opportunities for career development and training, could have trouble finding work because of their disability, and might come from lower-income families.

This Mathematica brief summarizes findings from a study examining how transition-age youth with disabilities receiving SSI may have been affected by WIOA and their access to pre-ETS.

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at Virginia Commonwealth University is hosting a webinar on May 22, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET where Federal, State, and Tribal representatives will discuss effective models in service provision to Indigenous youth and young adults, including individuals with disabilities. There will be discussions on the challenges faced and the actions taken to form Indigenous Service Models. Examples of culturally-focused youth camps, WIOA-funded workforce programs, federal and state initiatives, and vocational rehabilitation best practices will be showcased.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 introduced changes that require states to report on specific employment and education outcomes for people after they stop receiving TANF cash assistance.  Mirroring the Department of Labor's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs, these measures cover employment, employment retention, employment earnings, and attainment of a high school degree. This Urban Institute fact sheet is a resource for states, federal staff, and agency leaders implementing the new law.  Drawing insights from the 2018 report called Measuring Employment Outcomes in TANF, the fact sheet helps explain the challenges and opportunities of measuring and interpreting employment outcomes.

Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board (NWWIB) serves 10 counties across 10,000 square miles in northern Wisconsin, and administers WIOA and discretionary grant programs. Since NWWIB serves a rural region, the staff like to stay innovative on their outreach strategies, such as adopting social media campaigns on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and Facebook. This WorkforceGPS resource highlights a Q&A with NWWIB, exploring their innovative and fun social media outreach strategy and why innovation is important to the organization.

The merging of WIOA and TANF services has the potential to provide substantial benefits to those most in need. This brief highlights four key strategies states can implement to bolster their integration efforts. The four strategies range from least intensive to the most intensive to reflect shared learning, collaborative activities, joint service delivery, and shared resources and the research references findings from the 2019 OFA TANF/WIOA Collaboration briefs.

The capacity to plan for, design, and conduct evaluations takes appropriately allocated resources, expertise, technical assistance, and tools to create over time. WorkforceGPS will host a virtual session on July 26, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET that will highlight the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration’s efforts and those of two state workforce agencies to expand or build evidence and implement evaluations as required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. Along with representatives from Washington State and North Carolina, presenters will share insights about the evaluation and research community of practice, describe lessons learned from past Evaluation Peer Learning Cohorts (EvalPLC), and provide information about the next round of applications for the 2023 EvalPLC.

This report overviews the design and implementation of the New Start Career Network, a statewide program that assists older, long-term unemployed New Jerseyans. The report examines the rationale behind the program and its design, notes the collaborators involved, and discusses the program’s services, including a website, webinars, online tools, and career coaching. It also reviews approaches to engaging employers as well as recruiting members and coaches. In addition, lessons learned, recommendations, and key elements for serving long-term, unemployed job seekers are identified.