HHS Publishes Study on "Vulnerable Youth and Transition to Adulthood"; Releases Research Briefs on Multiple Pathways Connecting to School to Work and Second-Generation Latinos Connecting to School and Work
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently completed a study entitled "Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood." The study was conducted by the Urban Institute, under contract to ASPE. The two research briefs and four fact sheets produced by the study are now available on the ASPE website.

The Project Page contains a direct link to the study and provides access to several research briefs and fact sheets:

• Multiple Pathways Connecting to School and Work (Research Brief
• Second-Generation Latinos Connecting to School and Work (Research Brief)
• Youth from Low-Income Families (Fact Sheet)
  
• Youth from Distressed Neighborhoods (Fact Sheet)
• Youth with Depression/Anxiety (Fact Sheet)
• Young Men and Young Women (Fact Sheet)

Employment and Training Administration's Learning Exchange Materials Webpage

USDA Introduces New Website to Explore Ideas and Innovation in Rural America; Releases New Report "Broadband Internet's Value for Rural America"
The Department of Agriculture this week launched a new website designed to enhance discussions and facilitate innovation for issues facing rural America as part of the Obama Administration's Rural Tour. The many new features on www.RuralTour.gov are designed to enable Americans across the country to share their stories, provide feedback, and get information on what is happening on the Tour.

The Department has also released an economic analysis has found that rural communities with greater broadband Internet access had greater economic growth than areas with less access. The study, Broadband Internet's Value for Rural America, by economists at USDA's Economic Research Service, compared counties that had broadband access relatively early -- by 2000 -- with similarly situated counties that had little or no broadband access. Employment growth was higher and non-farm private earnings greater in counties with a longer history of broadband availability.

Recovery Act: IES Statewide Longitudinal Data System Information Sessions Scheduled for August - October
The National Center for Education Statistics, under the Institute of Education Sciences, has invited State educational agencies to apply for grants as part of the Recovery Act to design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data. The grants awarded will support the development and implementation of systems that have the capacity to link individual student data across time and across databases (i.e., are "interoperable"), including the matching of teachers to students, promote the linking of data collected or held by various institutions, agencies, and States, and protect student privacy consistent with applicable privacy protection laws

A July 30, 2009 "What's New" item noted this additional one-time funding "will permit grantee State educational agencies (SEAs) to accelerate the development of their data systems, to include not only data related to K-12 education, but also data on preschool and postsecondary education and workforce information, and to promote linkages with other data systems where such linkages may inform education policy and practice."

Click here for the application package. The submission deadline for the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grant application is November 19, 2009.

The Council of Chief State School Officers will host three opportunities for a WebEx information session for states planning to apply for these grants.

These Recovery Act WebEx sessions will take place:

• Thursday, August 27, 2009 from 1:00-2:30pm EST
  
• Friday, September 18, 2009 from 2:00-3:30pm EST
  
• Monday, October 5, 2009 from 12:00-1:30pm EST
  

Steps to join the information sessions:

1. At the start of the meeting, either click the following link or copy and paste it into your Web browser:
   https://ccsso.webex.com/ccsso/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=714100842
2. Enter your name, your email address, and then click "Join."
3. Follow the teleconference instructions that automatically appear on your screen:
   • Call-in toll-free number: 866-469-3239
   • Meeting number: 714 100 842

Questions can be directed to Tate Gould, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education by phone at (202) 219-7080 or email at Tate.Gould@ed.gov

Department of Energy Offers August 27 Webinar Geared for Workforce Agencies and Community Colleges: Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Jobs in the Building Industry -- Workforce Overview
The Department of Energy building technologies program is offering a webinar on Aug. 27, 12 to 1:30 p.m. EDT, titled Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Jobs in the Buildings Industry -- Workforce Overview. This webinar is geared toward community colleges and workforce agencies and will provide an overview of jobs involved with retrofitting existing homes to improve energy efficiency.

The 90-min session will cover job skills and scaling-up training, partnering between community colleges and workforce agencies, overview of certifications, and state and local workforce practices. The presenters will be Michael McCabe from the Dept. of Energy; Debra Rowe from Oakland Community College, Farmington Hills, Mich.; Charles Segerstrom from Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Francisco; Jennifer Troke from the Department of Labor; and Jerry Weber from the College of Lake County, Grayslake, Ill.

The webcast is free of charge, but participants must register in advance to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in phone number.

ARC October 26 - 28 Conference to Address "New Energy. New Jobs. New Opportunities for Appalachia"; RFP Deadline Extended for Research on Economic Development, Energy Workforce Trends and Training Requirements
The Appalachian Regional Commission's October 2009 New Energy. New Jobs. New Opportunities for Appalachia conference will share ideas and best practices on how communities can use their energy resources and emerging energy technologies and practices to diversify and strengthen their economies. Topics will include growing green enterprises, developing energy-efficient facilities, and building new-energy education and training programs.

The conference will be held October 26-28 at Ohio University's John Calhoun Baker University Center, One Park Place, Athens, Ohio 45701. The registration fee is $150.

Conference Webpage / Agenda / Registration

ARC also occasionally awards contracts for research on topics that impact economic development in the Appalachian Region, as well as contracts to provide technical assistance and services to the Region. ARC has recently modified the closing date for five RFPs to September 8. These include:

Evaluation of Strategies for Economic Improvement in Appalachia's Distressed Rural Counties

ARC invites proposals from qualified researchers and consultants to evaluate economic growth in Appalachia's economically distressed rural counties; analyze and compare strategies for economic development in these counties; and identify factors that led to success as well as factors that inhibited or constrained growth. The deadline for submission of proposals is September 8, 2009.

Evaluation of Strategies for Economic Improvement in Appalachia's Distressed Rural Counties

Energy Workforce Trends and Training Requirements

ARC seeks proposals from qualified researchers and consultants to assess workforce trends and training requirements to meet the needs of an increasingly diversified regional energy industry. This project would examine recent trends and occupational forecasts in the energy sector and develop an analysis of training capacity and demand gaps in the Appalachian Region. The deadline for submission of proposals is September 8, 2009.

RFP: Energy Workforce Trends and Training Requirements

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BIA Issues Final Rule to Consolidate Two Programs into "Job Placement and Training Program" for Native Americans
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has issued a final rule amending 25 CFR parts 26 and 27 by consolidating requirements governing the Employment Assistance Program and the Adult Vocational Training Program into one "Job Placement and Training Program."

This revision is consistent with the Department of the Interior's budget, which has integrated the two programs, Adult Vocational Training and the Direct Employment programs, into one comprehensive line item: the Job Placement and Training Program.

The purpose of the Department of the Interior's Job Placement and Training Program is to enhance employment opportunities for eligible Indians and to provide related services as necessary for them to gain full self-sufficiency or non-subsidized employment. The program services are not intended to duplicate or supplant other job placement or training authorities, resources, or services, but are designed to complement and supplement where there may be gaps in an individual self-sufficiency plan. This program's emphasis will focus on individual self-sufficiency through the implementation of a well-conceived plan that is designed to improve the individual's standard of living. The program may be administered through the Self-Determination or Self-Governance process, Public Law 102-477 Tribal Plan authority, or other similar authorities.

The revision of this regulation was previously recommended by the Public Law 102-477 Tribal Work Group, Indian tribes, and BIA program staff and is part of the President's Regulatory Reform Initiative.

Full background /rule

National Network of Sector Partners Announces November 13 Conference -- Rooted in Success, Reaching for Change
The National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP) has announced a national conference on November 10-13 to be held in Washington D.C. Early registration for the conference -- Rooted in Success, Reaching for Change -- is now open.

Conference Website

Registration

NNSP has also launched its 2009 survey which seeks information from organizations that offer regional, industry-specific workforce development initiatives (sector initiatives).

Click here for additional background.

Finance Project Releases "A Guide to Effective Investments in Positive Youth Development: Implications of Research for Financing and Sustaining Programs and Services for Youth"
The Finance Project was founded in 1994 with support from a consortium of national foundations interested in ensuring the viability and sustainability of promising initiatives that contribute to better futures for children, families, and communities.

The Finance Project this week has published "A Guide to Effective Investments in Positive Youth Development: Implications of Research for Financing and Sustaining Programs and Services for Youth.

This strategy brief reviews the research on "what works" to promote positive youth development and it provides decision makers with background information for making good investment decisions. The brief discusses the effects of various program- and system-level strategies on key outcomes for youth in an effort to shed light on how to invest limited resources to achieve desired outcomes. Examples of effective youth programs are highlighted, as are efforts to build strong systems that support youth development.

This brief also addresses the importance of using a strategic financing approach to ensure programs and services supporting youth development can be sustained over time. It identifies three promising strategies for financing and sustaining a comprehensive and seamless system that supports positive youth development:

• using data to target and track investment decisions;

• accessing flexible funding to maximize coordination; and

• building and strengthening partnerships.

Also see:

Finance Project Publishes New Volume -- Resources to Support Mentoring Programs and Services for Youth

SSTI Announces October 21-23 Conference on Technology-Based Economic Development
The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving government-industry programs that encourage economic growth through the application of science and technology. SSTI, which has developed a nationwide network of practitioners and policy makers, assists states and communities with building technology-based economies, conducts research on best practices and trends in technology-based economic development, encourages cooperation among and between state and federal programs, and disseminates information about technology-based economic development.

SSTI has announced that its 13th Annual Conference will be held in Overland Park, Kansas on October 21-23. The conference organizers note, in part:

SSTI's annual conferences are unique events for the economic development field because they attract the top thinkers and doers from every critical element of the TBED community - state, regional, university, nonprofit, private industry, and federal decision makers and practitioners

This year's conference will bring together distinguished speakers like Josh Lerner of Harvard Business School and Rob Atkinson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation who will challenge conventional thinking; experienced practitioners who will share best practices; and, leading individuals who are breaking new ground in their attempts to build tech-based economies. Plus, we'll have four stimulating roundtable discussions examining some of the thorniest issues we're facing - improving metrics that are being used, re-examining equity programs, and engaging universities.

Conference webpage

National Community Action Foundation Seeks Proposals to Design and Test New Approaches to Training Weatherization Workers; "Weatherization 101" Webinar Now Available for Access
The National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) is currently seeking innovative proposals to design and test new approaches to training weatherization workers. Training activities should increase the efficiency, quality, and effectiveness of the federal weatherization assistance program.

Applicants should leverage expertise and resources to ensure that the proposed training will result in new professional pathways for weatherization workers. Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed weatherization training project will be implemented in collaboration with existing federal weatherization providers and strategic partners such as national nonprofit entities with networks of local affiliates, the education and training community, organized labor, public and private employers in industry-related organizations, and the public workforce investment system.

NCAF intends to award the following grants:

• Several large scale project grants ranging from approximately $500,000 to $1.5 million.
  

  Projects must demonstrate high-impact approaches, adding value to DOE-funded Weatherization Assistance Program training initiatives.

• Several smaller project grants up to approximately $300,000.
  

  Projects that support Weatherization Assistance Program training resources, such as needs assessments and the dissemination of project results, and other training-related activities not covered by funds for Weatherization Assistance Program training.

NCAF shall consider the following factors in selecting proposals for funding:

• Demonstrated need for and benefits of the proposed project;
• Feasibility of the proposed project and work plan for implementation;
• Reasonableness of cost relative to the work to be performed;
• Innovativeness of plan;
• Portability of job skills;
• Potential to stimulate green collar job growth;
• Replicability in other sites;
• Quality of collaborative efforts;
• Background and qualifications of participating parties;
• Clarity of project outcomes and process to gather data to measure outcomes;
• Sustainability of plan if awarded.

Selected applicants will then be advised to compete for funding by submitting a full proposal.

Also see:

"Weatherization 101" Webinar Now Available

The " Weatherization 101 -- All You Ever Wanted to Know about the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)" webinar was recently offered to share information with the workforce system on the Department of Energy''s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) as well as industry expertise on the technical and training aspects of weatherization including the process, types of tools, job types, and a training overview. A total of 608 individuals attended the event. The webinar is now available for review.

Recovery Act: Administration Announces Nearly $8 Billion in Weatherization Funding and Energy Efficiency Grants

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NAWDP Announces 2009 Youth Development Symposium (December 7 - 9); Chicago Event Includes Session on "Preparing Youth for the Green Jobs of Today and Tomorrow"
The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals has announced its 2009 Youth Development Symposium. The Symposium will be held in Chicago on December 7 - 9, 2009.

One of the pre-Symposium sessions is entitled "Preparing Youth for the Green Jobs of Today and Tomorrow." The organizers note, in part:

This four-hour program is designed to help educate workforce center employees on "green jobs." Taught in an upbeat, interactive manner, this training will provide an overview of energy efficiency and new and emerging renewable energy technologies - focusing on wind, solar and biomass. We will cover the terminology required for resume writing and interviews and discuss "green job" descriptions, salaries, and skill requirements.

Participants will walk away better prepared to connect youth with local employers and will receive important resources such as industry reports, editorial news items, governmental analysis and training & certification resources.

Conference webpage / registration / cost information / logistics

"Employment Transportation: Communities Collaborating for Economic Success" Scheduled for September 15 - 16 in Des Moines; CTAA Conference Planners Invite Attendance from Midwest States
The Community Transportation Association of America reports on its upcoming conference scheduled for September 15 - 16 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Reliable transportation is essential to the economic vitality of our cities and towns, especially in light of the current economic downturn. Effective transportation options must be responsive to the needs of community businesses as well as employees and job seekers.

Meeting this goal is most effectively addressed through active partnerships among four key players: the business community, workforce development professionals, transportation providers and community members.

"Employment Transportation: Communities Collaborating for Economic Success" will help you identify the transportation responses that best address trends in you community. Join key community stakeholders from the Midwest and nationwide for two days of panel discussions, group strategy sessions, networking and information sharing and learn about small business group strategy sessions, networking, and information sharing and learn about:

• Creating transportation programs that respond to business needs
• Collaborating with transportation providers and workforce development agencies to achieve job placement goals by working together on customer transportation issues
• Leveraging local, state, federal and private dollars to improve community mobility options
• Encouraging employers to take advantage of tax benefits for their employees that improve companies'' bottom line
• Examples of successful employer-sponsored transportation programs
• Helping businesses "go green" with transit

Full background / registration information (cost:$50) / scholarships for hotel lodging / survey for job-related transportation concerns / registration / contact information

NASTAD Annual Meeting Begins August 10; Agenda to Include Discussion of the Role of Apprenticeship in the "Green Economy"
The National Association of State Apprenticeship and Territorial Directors (NASTAD) annual meeting will be held August 10 - 14, 2009, in Seattle, Washington. The agenda will include discussion of recently awarded grants, the role of apprenticeship in the green economy, the revised apprenticeship regulations, pre-apprenticeship, OA's Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS), and partnerships between Registered Apprenticeship and workforce systems, including follow-up from regional action clinics held in Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco earlier this fiscal year.

NASTAD Website

Agenda

OVAE Updates: Recovery Act Technology Funds, Launch of New NIFL Website, Rhode Island One-Stop Career Centers, GAO report on Adult English Language Learning
The Department of Education''s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) issues "Thursday Notes," a compendium which provides information about new reports, publications, websites and other resources of value to educational and workforce preparation stakeholders and grantees.

The August 6, 2009 issue provides synopses and links to:

• LEAS, Partnerships Eligible for ARRA Technology Funds
• National Institute for Literacy Launches New Website
• Rhode Island ARRA Funds Jobs at One-Stop Centers

"Thursday Notes" Archive (June 4, 2009 - July 30, 2009)

USCIS to Accept New H-2B Fiscal Year 2009 Petitions
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reopened the fiscal year 2009 H-2B petition filing period and will immediately accept new H-2B petitions.

Although on January 7, 2009, USCIS announced it accepted and approved a sufficient number of H-2B petitions to meet the congressionally mandated annual cap of 66,000, the Department of State received far fewer than expected requests for H-2B visas and as a result, has issued only 40,640 H-2B visas for fiscal year 2009 to date. This means that there are approximately 25,000 visas that may go unused, as they have not been granted. Because of the low visa issuance rate, USCIS is reopening the filing period to allow employers to file additional petitions for qualified H-2B temporary foreign nonagricultural workers.

More ...

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Recovery Act: Grants.Gov Web Site Offers New Feature for Information on Applying for All Federal Grants
Department of Health and Human Services' Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has unveiled a new feature on Grants.gov to help users find and apply for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant opportunities. Grants.gov contains information about finding and applying for all federal grant programs.

More ...

Recovery Act: EPA Announces 14 Communities to Receive Brownfields Job Training Grants, 55 Communities to Receive Grants to Carry Out Cleanup Activities, Redevelopment Projects, and Create Jobs
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced:

Fourteen communities in eight states will share $6.8 million in Brownfields Job Training Grants geared toward cleaning up contaminated properties and turning them into productive community assets. EPA has awarded awarding grants of up to $500,000 each to eligible governmental entities and non-profit organizations. The grants will teach environmental assessment and cleanup job skills to individuals living in areas near brownfields sites in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Washington.

Communities in 55 state or local governments will receive $55 million in supplemental funding for brownfields revolving loan fund grants to help communities carry out cleanup activities, redevelopment projects, and create jobs for local residents living near brownfields sites. The grants include $42 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and $13 million from the EPA brownfields general program funding.

Access to News Releases / Listing of Grantees

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