I.Purpose

To provide guidance on National Emergency Grants (NEGs) sequence of services to participants and to expedite core, intensive, or training services in transition centers and One-Stop centers for eligible Wilmington Airpark workers.

This NEG policy applies to all targeted participants served by the following Project Operators: Local Area 7 - Clinton, Montgomery, Highland, Greene, and Fayette; Local Area 12 - Butler, Clermont, and Warren; Local Area 1 - Scioto, Adams, Brown, and Pike; Local Area 13 - Hamilton; Local Area 11 - Franklin; and Local Area 20 - Ross, Fairfield, and Pickaway. In instances where a local WIB policy conflicts with this issuance, the NEG policy shall be followed when the service is paid with NEG funds. Workers impacted by the downsizing of the Wilmington Airpark who reside outside of the aforementioned areas should be referred to the Wilmington Airpark Transition Center to access available services. Out-of-area One-Stops may also make arrangements to access available NEG services through any one of the project operators.

NEG services are available to eligible dislocated workers identified in the approved NEG resulting from the downsizing of the Wilmington Airpark regardless of their counties of residence. Local WIBs outside of the project operators listed above may use local funds as appropriate, to serve this targeted group if accessing NEG-funded services is not feasible for the workers. Non-project operators may follow their local policies when using their local formula funds for impacted workers.

II.Effective Date

October 1, 2008

III.Background

NEGs are discretionary awards intended to temporarily expand service capacity at the state and local levels by providing time-limited funding assistance in response to significant dislocation events. In August 2008, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Office of Workforce Development applied for NEG funds to aid the areas and workers affected by the downsizing of the Wilmington Airpark in Wilmington, Ohio. Due to the number of workers and counties impacted in Ohio, the state wants to ensure that workers will receive consistent services from the One-Stop center network, thereby providing a seamless transition regardless of the county of residence or local workforce investment area of the workers.

IV.Guidance Statement

The WIA regulations require a specific sequence of services in order to access program activities through WIA. The intent of this mandatory sequence is to ensure eligible workers are able to access the services necessary to obtain or retain employment based upon their existing marketable skills; thus allowing each worker's needs to determine the depth of services received.

The preamble of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), final rules states that, "While the regulations do not explicitly preclude State or Local Boards from establishing minimum time periods within each tier of services, we agree that mandatory waiting periods are not consistent with customization of services according to each participant's unique needs." Therefore, a participant services flow process that is responsive to NEG participants is a critical point to the success of serving these participants. The goal is to help NEG participants access the services they want and need as quickly and easily as possible. Although WIA requires a specific sequence of services (core, intensive, training), there is no mandated timeframe for them to be provided.

Participants served with NEG funds have access to core, intensive, and training services as appropriate. Participants who receive services tied to this NEG:

• Must have been terminated or laid off, or have received a notice of termination or layoff due to the upcoming closure of Wilmington Airpark; and
• Participation is based on the determination of suitability for the program and the ability to benefit from services available.

It is important that local areas establish procedures that:

• Facilitate timely access to training if needed when the participant does not have the necessary marketable skills to make a quick transition back into the workforce;
• Ensure that the mandated sequence of services is not burdensome;
• Ensure that a skill assessment is conducted as soon as possible following the determination of WIA eligibility, in order to develop an appropriate plan of services*; and
• The timeframe between core services and training should be the least amount of time needed to assess the worker's existing skills, determine marketability of their skills, and develop an appropriate training plan.

* Eligibility determination and comprehensive assessments must be completed within thirty days after the worker indicates an interest in assistance beyond self-help resources at a One-Stop or transition center. If a One-Stop lacks the capacity to meet this timeframe, the worker should be referred to the transition center for expedited services.

An example of an expedited path to training that satisfies the mandated sequence of services is as follows:

Services are described as follows:

• Core services, such as intake/application for determinations of NEG eligibility, job search and placement information, and initial assessments. Core services include self-service informational services and staff-assisted services. Self-service informational services may require little or no assistance from staff. Staff-assisted services require registration services into the WIA program.
• Intensive services include comprehensive specialized assessments of individual skill levels and service needs, individual employment plans, and counseling. Intensive services involve staff assistance with making determination about a participant's needs and arranging for needed services to be provided. Intensive services require registration and include short-term pre-vocational services.
• Before receiving intensive services, an individual must have received at least one core service, be unemployed, and be unable to obtain employment, or be employed and determined to be in need of intensive services to obtain, or retain employment at a self-sufficient wage. Dislocated workers who have accepted a job after dislocation must be under the state NEG self-sufficiency threshold to be determined eligible. Documentation should be maintained to demonstrate the transition from core to intensive services.
• Training services, such as occupational skills training, on-the-job training, customized training, and entrepreneurial training. Training services are services that are available to dislocated workers who have completed one or more intensive services and still cannot obtain employment leading to self-sufficiency. Training providers of occupational skills training and their programs of training services must be on the state eligible training provider list. WIA Section 134(d).

A.Reporting

All participants served under this NEG will be counted in statewide performance and must be entered in SCOTI WIA, Special Grants. Participants may be co-enrolled in local formula funded WIA programs. Co-enrolled participants will be counted in both statewide and local performance.

B.Local Implementation of NEG Policies

In order to access NEG funds for targeted individuals, local WIBs must pass a resolution to adopt the statewide NEG policies for targeted individuals or modify existing policies to adopt the statewide NEG policies.

C.Using Local Formula Funds

Local WIBs identified as project operators for this NEG may elect to serve eligible workers under the NEG using local formula funds if desired. In order to ensure consistent and equitable service delivery, local WIBs must, at a minimum, follow the guidelines of the NEG policies that apply to the targeted workers. If local policies exceed the financial caps for services or broaden the array of services, the local policies may be utilized when serving participants with local funds.

Affected workers served with local formula funds must be enrolled in SCOTI WIA, and identified by a unique code entered in the local use field in the basic intake screen as an individual covered under this NEG. Separate reporting requirements to further explain this process have been issued by the ODJFS, Office of Workforce Development.

V.Technical Assistance

For additional information, you may send your questions to the Office of Workforce Development: WIAQNA@JFS.OHIO.GOV.

VI.ReferencesWIA Section 101(46), 134, 173

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 81 / Tuesday, April 27, 2004 / Notices

USDOL approved National Emergency Grant, Wilmington Airpark