1. Unemployment Insurance and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014: UIPL 20-15
Webinar Date: September 16, 2015
Presented by:
Office of Unemployment Insurance
U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration

2. Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen
Where are you?
Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen #

3. Office of Unemployment Insurance
Moderator
Gay Gilbert
Administrator
Office of Unemployment Insurance #

4. Here’s what you can expect to get out of this webinar!
Learn about the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) as it relates to UI programs.
Understand UI’s agencies role
Strategies for WIOA implementation
UIPL 20-15 #

5. Agenda The Opportunities for Innovation in WIOA
WIOA, Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) & Guidance
UI & WIOA:
State UI Agency as a Required One-Stop Partner
Reemployment Services for UI Claimants
Integrated Data & Information Technology Systems
Disclosure of Wage Records
WIOA State Plans #

6. Polling Question
Are you “at the table” in your state and actively engaged in WIOA implementation planning?
Yes No
Don’t Know #

7. Presenters Gay Gilbert Administrator Office of Unemployment Insurance
Jim Garner
Deputy Administrator
Office of Unemployment Insurance
Suzanne Simonetta
Division Chief, Division of Legislation
Office of Unemployment Insurance
Lidia Fiore
Supervisory UI Program Specialist, Division of UI Operations
Office of Unemployment Insurance #

8. Workforce Boards focus on strategy.
The WIOA Vision
States align programs and ensure integrated services through a unified strategic plan and shared governance.
Workforce Boards focus on strategy.
States and local areas align workforce programs with regional economic development strategies. #

9. The WIOA Vision
The One-Stop Center network and partner programs are organized to provide high quality service to individuals and employers.
States and local areas promote accountability and transparency, and data drives decisions and informs customer choice. #

10. High Quality One-Stop Centers
Provide excellent customer service to job seekers, workers, and businesses.
Develop, offer, and delivery quality business services.
Improve the skills of job seekers customers. #

11. High Quality One-Stop Centers
Welcome all customer groups and ensure they can successfully access services
Assess and improve each individual’s basic, occupational, and employability skills
Create opportunities for individuals at all skill and experience levels
Provide career service that motivate, support, and empower customers #

12. The UI Opportunities for Innovation in WIOA
Reinforce UI as a fundamental and integrated component of the workforce system.
Revisit the role of AJCs in WPRS, RESEA, and reemployment broadly for UI claimants.
State UI agencies playing a much stronger role in state strategic planning to support integration and connectivity in support of reemployment of UI claimants. #

13. The UI Opportunities for Innovation in WIOA
Opportunity to refresh relationships with LWIBs through MOU process to similarly promote integration, connectivity, and reemployment of UI claimants.
Opportunity to influence state policies that define One-Stop requirements and certification. #

14. UI plays a vital role in the workforce system.
UI & WIOA
Seeks to provide comprehensive, integrated and streamlined services. Requiring linking and aligning the different one-stop partners.
UI plays a vital role in the workforce system.
Important for the state UI agency to work with the other workforce partners as state develops strategies and plans to implement WIOA. #

15. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014
Signed into law on July 22, 2014.
WIOA is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers w/skilled workers.
WIOA supersedes the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) & amends the Wagner-Peyser Act (W-P). #

16. NPRM & Guidance
USDOL published a set of proposed regulations for WIOA implementation via posting NPRMs.
NPRMs were open for public comment until June 15, 2015.
Comments are being reviewed.
Final WIOA rules will be issued in 2016.
Operating Guidance issued prior to final rules to inform workforce system how to implement WIOA.
OUI issued UIPL #

17. State Workforce Development Board
Core programs under WIOA are represented on the Board.
Governor has discretion to include state agency officials from One-stop Partner programs (such as UI).
If state UI agency is not on the State Board, it is critical that the UC agency is actively engaged and working with State Board and all one-stop partner programs in development of state plans.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 4(A). #

18. Presenter
Lidia Fiore
Supervisory UI Program Specialist, Division of UI Operations
Office of Unemployment Insurance #

19. Integrated Service Delivery
As a required one-stop partner, UI must:
Provide access to its programs or activities through the one-stop system;
Provide career services as required;
Use a portion of funds to maintain the one-stop system (including infrastructure costs);
Enter into a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Local Boards; and
Participate in the operation of the one-stop system consistent with MOU. #

20. Integrated Service Delivery
Opportunities for states to leverage UI programs for improved integration:
Helping claimants access one-stop services.
Ensuring UI eligibility requirements & feedback loop.
Connection to other UI Programs (STC, WPRS and RESEA, SEA).
Providing effective services to veterans under the UCX program.
Ensuring notifications to claimants regarding deadlines and eligibility requirements for TRA,ATAA, & RTAA & communication with case managers for TAA participants.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 4(B). #

21. WIOA Career Services Include UI Claim-Filing Information & Assistance
WIOA Career Services: Providing Information & Assistance Regarding Filing a UI Claim:
Assistance provided in-person or remotely (telephone or computer).
Costs may be paid for with UI Administrative fund, WIOA (adult and dislocated worker funds) & W-P funds.
Objective is for individuals to receive ‘meaningful’ staff-assisted services.

22. WIOA Career Services Include UI Claim-Filing Information & Assistance
Meaningful assistance means:
Providing assistance on-site using staff well- trained in UI claims filing and rights and responsibilities (if such assistance is requested or individual w/ barriers).
Providing assistance via phone or other technology. Assistance must be provided by trained staff and within a reasonable time. Level and timeliness of service comparable to in-person assistance.

23. WIOA Career Services Include UI Claim Filing Information & Assistance
Examples of remote assistance:
If referred to a telephone for UI claims assistance, it must be a phone line dedicated to serving one- stop customers in a timely manner. Individuals needing assistance may not simply be referred to a general line with the state UI agency contact center where the individual is placed in a phone queue along with all other claimants in the state.
Computer: Assistance is provided by trained staff.
Example: live web chat, video conference.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 4(C).

24. MOU MOU Required Elements:
Services to be provided & coordination/delivery.
Funding costs of services and operating costs (infrastructure and shared services).
Methods for referring individuals.
Methods to ensure that the needs of workers, youth, and individuals w/barriers are addressed.
MOU Duration & amending procedures.
Assurance -review MOU, and if substantial changes, renewed (not less than once every 3 years). #

25. MOU & UI Programs With respect to UI programs, MOU should describe:
How UI programs are accessed through the one-stop system.
How claimants are provided UI claim filing information & assistance.
How claimants effectively connected to reemployment services through the one-stop.
The feedback loop to UI for potential eligibility issues that may be identified (work test/eligibility assessment).
The provisions of confidentiality and disclosure of wage records.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 4(D). #

26. Infrastructure & Other Costs
All required one-stop partner programs, must use a portion of their funds to maintain the one-stop delivery system (including infrastructure costs & career services).
Partner programs may also fund shared services (initial intake, assessment of needs, referrals).
More guidance on this coming soon.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 4(E) for resources on cost allocation. #

27. Office of Unemployment Insurance
Presenter
Jim Garner
Deputy Administrator
Office of Unemployment Insurance #

28. Reemployment Services for UI Claimants: W-P Employment Service Program
W-P Employment Service Program: State carries out, as appropriate:
Coordinating and providing basic career services/labor exchange services to UI claimants, as required by the W-P Act.
Administering the work search test, conducting eligibility assessments, and registering UI claimants for employment services, and provision of job finding and placement services.
Referring UI claimants to, and providing application assistance for, training and education resources and programs. #

29. W-P Employment Service Program
Information related to UI eligibility:
ES staff is trained to conduct eligibility assessment to be able to identify potential eligibility issues to referral to UI.
ES staff is trained to properly document the potential issues for use by UI staff.
An effective feedback loop to UI is in place.
Only UI merit staff can adjudicate UI eligibility issues.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 5(A). #

30. UI Reemployment Programs
As states consider service delivery design for one-stop center, examine how to leverage the existing UI programs that focus on claimant reemployment- WPRS and RESEA.
WPRS and RESEA services may be delivered by UI, W-P, WIOA, or other one- stop center staff. Staff must be trained to identify any potential UI eligibility issues and refer to UI staff.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 5(B). #

31. Integrated Data & Information Technology Systems
State Boards & Local Boards must develop strategies for aligning and integrating technology and data systems across one-stop partner programs.
States are required to address such alignment and integration in the State Plans.
State UI agencies should actively work with the State Board, core programs, and other one-stop partners to design and implement integrated data systems. #

32. Integrated Data & Information Technology Systems
Reemployment Connection Tools:
ETA developed tools to support improved connectivity and integration across IT systems supporting UI and other workforce partners.
The Reemployment Connections technology tools are available now for all states to implement and/or adapt and customize. The tools enable the data system integration envisioned under WIOA.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 6. #

33. WIOA State Plans
WIOA requires each state to submit a Unified State Plan or a Combined State Plan.
Additional guidance (TEGL) will be issued for the development and submission of Unified and Combined State Plans.
State Plans (Unified or Combined) submitted to the Secretary of Labor by March 3, 2016.
See UIPL 20-15, Section 8. #

34. Unified Plan Unified Plan submitted by the core programs.
Although UI is not a core program, UI intersect with core program operations that should be reflected throughout the Unified Plan, such as:
Being a required one-stop partner
Partnering with state ES programs to provide W-P/ES services to UI claimants
Developing strategies to integrate data and information technology systems
Supporting workforce system performance and evaluation through access to wage records. #

35. Combined Plan
Combined plan is jointly submitted by Core programs + partner program.
Combined Plans address all the requirements for the Unified Plan.
If state elects to include UI as a partner in the Combined Plan, the SQSP is incorporated into the Combined Plan.
SQSP as part of the Combined Plan will need to reflect coordination with other WIOA Combined Plan programs (include in narrative of the SQSP).
The SQSP will still be prepared in accordance with HB336, 18th Edition.
No change to the established SQSP cycle is expected. #

36. Presenter Suzanne Simonetta Division Chief, Division of Legislation
Office of Unemployment Insurance #

37. Merit Staffing: When Necessary for Claim Filing Assistance
Any well-trained one-stop employee, including W-P staff, may provide general information about UI eligibility requirements.
Only UI merit staff may provide advice specific to the individual, including an indication of the effect on UI eligibility of an individual’s specific circumstances or actions. #

38. Merit Staffing: When Necessary for Services to Claimants
Any well-trained one-stop employee, including W-P staff, may identify potential UI eligibility issues when conducting eligibility assessments (e.g. RESEAs) or otherwise providing services to UI claimants.
Only UI merit staff may adjudicate these issues, which includes fact finding from all necessary parties. #

39. Disclosure of Wage Records: For WIOA Performance & Eligible Training Provider List Purposes
State workforce, training, and education programs must use quarterly wage records to measure state and local performance, and to obtain information required in the Eligible Training Provider List.
Federal regulations at 20 CFR Part 603.5(e) permit states to disclose confidential unemployment compensation (UC) information “to a public official for use in the performance of his or her official duties.”
Official duties are “administration or enforcement of law or the execution of the official responsibilities of a Federal, State, or local elected official”. #

40. “Public official” would also include:
Disclosure of Wage Records: Proposed Expanded Definitions in 20 CFR 603
“Public official” would also include:
Public post-secondary educational institutions established & governed under state law
Performance accountability & customer information agencies
Chief elected official of a local Workforce Development Area
State educational authority, agency, or institution
“Performance of official duties” would also include:
State & local performance accountability under WIOA sec 116
Requirements of discretionary Federal grants awarded under WIOA
As otherwise required for education and workforce training. #

41. Evaluations of core programs under WIOA
Mandatory Disclosure of Wage Records for Certain DOL and ED Evaluations
Evaluations of core programs under WIOA
Evaluations under section 169, WIOA, to evaluate:
Workforce Development Activities under WIOA Title 1;
Other federally funded employment-related programs and activities authorized under other provisions of law;
Evaluations under section 242(c)(2)(D), and sections 12(a)(5), 14, and 107 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (applied with respect to programs carried out under Title I of that Act)
Evaluations under section 10(b) of the Wagner- Peyser Act. #

42. Disclosure of Wage Records: Additional Information
All requirements of 20 CFR 603 must be met including data sharing agreements, reimbursement for costs, safeguards, and penalties for impermissible re-disclosures and data breaches.
WRIS & WRIS II agreements will be updated to facilitate data exchanges for entities that may not receive confidential UC information.
Collaborating with ED to facilitate their data access. #

43. In Summary, State UI Agencies Need To:
Be at the state WIOA implementation planning table and the development of the state’s WIOA plan.
Developing strategies for offering assistance in filing UI claims in One-Stops and connecting UI claimants to reemployment services.
Determining how to best leverage other UI programs.
Working with your state partners on developing capacity to share wage record data. #

44. https://wioa.workforce3one.org/
WIOA Resources
WIOA legislation, Notices of Proposed Rulemaking, Operating Guidance:
WIOA Technical Assistance through the Innovation Opportunity Network (ION): #

45. Please enter your questions in the Chat Room!#

46. Speakers’ Contact Information
Gay Gilbert
Jim Garner
Suzanne Simonetta
Lidia Fiore #