REGION V ETA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LETTER NO. 011-04

DATE:             July 09, 2004

TO:                  STATE WORKFORCE AGENCY ADMINISTRATORS

FROM:         Byron Zuidema
                   BYRON ZUIDEMA            
                   Regional Administrator

SUBJECT: Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefit Financing Seminar

1. Purpose:  This notice is to solicit nominees from State Agencies for a UI Benefit Financing Seminar to be held October 19-22, 2004, in Washington, D.C.

2. Objective:  The objective of this seminar is to provide training in state UI benefit financing concepts and trust fund forecasting.  The seminar will be presented by staff of the Division of Fiscal and Actuarial Services, Office of Workforce Security.  Seminar sessions will cover topics in benefit cost estimation, taxation principles and experience rating, forecasting UI variables, measuring the impact of state law changes, and understanding solvency measures.  The seminar will consist of three and one-half days of concentrated activity, including computer exercises using the Benefit Financing Model.  Current Benefit Financing Model users will also have the opportunity to work with their own model in a break-out session.  A tentative agenda is attached.  After completion of this seminar it is expected that participants will have a much greater understanding of the structure and operation of their state Unemployment Insurance benefit financing systems.  Participants will be supplied with a training manual prepared by the instructors.

3. Targeted Participants:  This seminar is open to selected State Workforce Agency (SWA) and Regional Office staff with the only prerequisite being a basic knowledge of the UI program.  Priority will be given to staff who have responsibility for trust fund forecasting and analysis or who occupy UI positions that require a working knowledge of the above noted subject material.  Second priority will be given to other personnel in statistical, actuarial or research units (labor market information, research and statistics, etc.) that support UI.

4. Nominations:  A nomination form (see attached) for the Benefit Financing Seminar should be completed for each nominee.  Only staff for whom the necessary travel funds can be secured should be nominated.  The seminar will be limited to 20 participants.  The National Office will select the participants from among those nominated and notify the Regional Offices of the selections.  Upon selection, participants will receive information regarding lodging, special arrangements, and travel instructions. 

The seminar will be held in the U.S. Department of Labor Training Center in the Frances Perkins Building at 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.  The seminar will start at 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 19, and end at 12:00 noon, Friday, October 22.  Participants will be expected to arrive on Monday evening, October 18.  For interested participants with available time Friday afternoon (1:00 pm – 5:00 pm) following the seminar, additional individualized training on existing state models will be provided.  Lodging will be at the Holiday Inn on the Hill, a three-block walk from the Labor Department.  The cost of lodging, meals, and transportation must be borne by the State Workforce Agency or the Regional Office. 

5. Action:  States are requested to:

a.  Nominate state staff to participate in the seminar; and
b.  Complete the attached nomination form for all nominees and send to the Chicago Region Office by August 6, 2004, Attn:  Linda Mulcahey at mulcahey.linda@dol.gov.

If you have any questions, please contact Linda Mulcahey at 312-596-5434 or Dominic Pavese at 312-596-5436.

6.  Effective Date.  Immediate.

7.  Expiration Date. August 13, 2004.

8.  Attachments. - (2)

TENTATIVE AGENDA

UI Benefit Financing Seminar

October 19-22, 2004

Tuesday

1.  Introduction to the Federal/State UI System

2.  Benefit Cost Estimating

3.  Introduction to the Benefit Financing Model/Projection Program                                          

4.  Computer Exercises – Projection Program

Wednesday

1.  More Cost Estimating

2.  Principles of UI Taxation

3.  Introduction to the Benefit Financing Model/Financial Forecast Program                              

4.  Revenue Forecasting

5.  Computer Exercises – Financial Forecast Program

Thursday

1.   Trust Fund Adequacy and Solvency Measures

2.  Guest Speaker

3.  Federal Loan Provisions

4.  Computer Exercises

5.  Work on Individual State Models (current model users only)

Friday

1.  Experience Rating/Experience Rating Index

2.  Computer Exercises

3.   Participant Presentations

NOMINATION FORM

UI BENEFIT FINANCING SEMINAR

State/Region: ­­­­­­­­­­­_____________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________________

Title:  ___________________   Work Phone No. ___________________ 

E-mail Address: ______________________________________________

Work Address: _______________________________________________

                        _______________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Years of schooling completed:  12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

              Degree                                Date                            Major

           ________                       __________              ____________

           ________                       __________              ____________

           ________                       __________              ____________

Other relevant education and/or training:

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

WORK EXPERIENCE

Length of time doing trust fund forecasting/analysis:     ______

Length of time working in Unemployment Insurance:     ______

Length of time engaged in other work in research,

     statistics, or related activities:                                   ______

Describe briefly your present duties, particularly as related to this seminar:

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

COMPUTER AND STATISTICAL SKILLS

Do you have experience or training in the following?

Spreadsheets (specify):  ______________________________________

Statistical packages (specify): _________________________________

Regression Analysis:  ________________________________________

RECOMMENDED BY:

______________________________ ______________________________

   Signature                                                Title