NASWA's Winter Policy Forum
Presentations

Dr. Groshen's presentation focused on current economic dynamics and their implications for the workforce system. It offers some optimism during this increasingly pessimistic time and provides insight into the early stages of the hoped for economic recovery.

Speaker: Erica Groshen, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of Regional Outreach, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The Recession and Turbulence in the Labor Market 

Enabling One-Stop Career Centers to Help Workers Find Jobs and Build Skills

One-Stop Career Centers play a vital role in helping the unemployed find new jobs and build new skills. Dr. Jacobson proposes a new approach that would replace current One-Stop performance measures with ones that would provide the feedback and incentives needed to help workers find jobs more effectively and build skills, as well as reduce the cost to taxpayers.

Speaker: Louis Jacobson, Ph.D., Economist, Institute for Public Research, CNA
Enabling One-Stop Career Centers to Provide the Help. Unemployed Workers Need to Find Jobs and Build Skills 

Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization: What Next?

Authorization for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) expired in 2003. Efforts to reauthorize the legislation have not been successful. Yet, the programs have continued, but not without controversy. The previous Administration criticized the system for not providing enough training, spending too much on "infrastructure" and not spending grants fast enough. Rescissions and budget cuts were imposed in 2008. Should we be optimistic about reauthorization of this Act? What are the major issues and the different positions regarding WIA reauthorization? Will the new Administration propose reauthorization? Will the new Congress act? What will this mean for state workforce agencies?

Moderator: Roberta Gassman, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Panelists: Sandi Vito, Secretary, Workforce Development, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
John Colbert, Partner, Moss, McGee, Bradley and Colbert; and Senior Counsel, National Center on Education and the Economy
Joan Wodiska, Director, Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee, Office of Federal Relations, National Governors Association (NGA)

Unemployment Insurance "Modernization:" What is It? How Does it Affect My State?

In September 2007, Representative Jim McDermott (D - WA) introduced H.R. 2233, the Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act. A modified version of the bill was inserted into the economic stimulus package recently signed into law. Under the bill, states would be given five years to enact laws expanding UI benefit eligibility to qualify for a portion of $7 billion in incentive payments from the Federal Unemployment Account of the Unemployment Trust Fund. A state's potential maximum payment would correspond to a share of the $7 billion proportionate to estimated FUTA taxes paid by employers in the state. One-third of a state's payment would be received if state law includes an "alternate base period." The remaining two-thirds of a state's share would be received when the alternative base period is enacted and the state meets at least two of four additional requirements. What does UI "modernization" mean for the UI system? What are the benefits? What are the costs? Are there any pitfalls on the way to enactment?

Moderator: Rochelle Webb, Administrator, Arizona Department of Economic Security

Panelists:
Doug Holmes, President, UWC
UWC – Strategic Services On Unemployment & Workers' Compensation 

Maurice Emsellem, Policy Co-Director, National Employment Law Project
Implementing the Unemployment Insurance Modernization Reforms of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 

Local Employment Dynamics Program: Assisting Policy Making in the States

The Census Bureau's Local Employment Dynamics program (LED) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The LED is an innovative program that provides analytical tools and data on nearly every worker and business in America. The innovative tools of LED can assist participating states in understanding the characteristics and dynamics of its workforce. Learn how the LED can: Help measure the impact of the economic downturn and the prospects for reemployment; Help measure and understand the impact of disasters on the employment and the workforce; Facilitate regional economic development; Provide Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) that offer details on employment, job creation and destruction, earnings, and worker turnover by detailed industry, gender and age of workers for county, metropolitan and workforce investment areas; and Provide interactive maps that profile workers living or working in selected areas and their commuting patterns and potential transportation needs.

Moderator: Roosevelt "Ted" Halley, Executive Director, South Carolina Employment Security Commission

Panelists:
Jeremy Wu, Program Manager, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce
Local Employment Dynamics (LED):A Decade of Partnership and Innovation

Tom Gallagher, Manager, Research and Planning, Wyoming Department of Employment
John Dorrer, Director, Workforce Research & Information, Maine Department of Labor
Anthony Dais, Division of Workforce System Support, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment and Training Administration

Reemployment Services: Cost-Effectiveness and New Initiatives

The recession and its long-term impacts on the nation's workforce have brought the concept of reemployment services to the forefront of public policy discussions. Learn what methods have worked across the nation and see an outline of recent federal government activities surrounding reemployment. Finally, learn about an exciting new on-line Rapid Reemployment project, sponsored by the JobCentral National Labor Exchange (NLX), which connects downsizing employers with hiring employers in three Northeast states impacted by the financial services sector meltdown.

Moderator: Larry Temple, NASWA Past-President and Executive Director, Texas Workforce Commission

Panelists:
Christopher J. O'Leary, Senior Economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
UI as a Safety Net for Former TANF Recipients 

Grace Kilbane, Regional Administrator, U. S. Department of Labor/ETA
ReEnvisioning ReEmployment:.Innovating for Economic Recovery & Growth 

Jolene Jefferies, Vice-President of Government Relations, DirectEmployers Association
Are You Downsizing or Hiring, or Both? How the Rapid Reemployment Initiative Can Help 

Unemployment Insurance (UI) Administrative Funding: Surviving the Perfect Storm

As the number of unemployed workers increases, states have experienced unprecedented pressure on their UI systems. This workshop focused on trust fund solvency and examines present and future financing issues. Learn the historical background on the unemployment trust funds, how current requests from states for administrative funding are handled, problems with this approach and suggestions for improvement. Moderator: Karen T. Lee, Commissioner, Washington State Employment Security Department

Panelists:
Cheryl A. Atkinson, Administrator, Office of Workforce Security (OWS), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL)

Ron Wilus, Chief, Division of Actuarial Sciences, OWS, ETA, USDOL
Trust Fund Adequacy 

Wayne Vroman, PhD, Economist, The Urban Institute
Financing Unemployment Insurance and Administration of Labor Market Programs 

New Foreign Labor Certification Regulations: Is that A Light at the End of the Tunnel or Another Train Coming?

The Bush Administration made final regulations for the H-2A and H-2B program on January 18 and 19, respectively. The rules impose new requirements on states and typically say Wagner-Peyser funds can be used to perform duties to meet these requirements. Many states, especially those with high volumes of H-2A and H-2B applications, will not be able to meet the requirements. In most cases, Wagner-Peyser funds are stretched to cover many other service areas besides foreign labor certification. When H-2A workers are found living in poor conditions, on whom will the press focus for not doing the required housing inspections? The workforce agency! Find out the status of the new regulations, the expectations to follow them, and what can be done to mitigate the negative impact.

Moderator: Dolores A. Esser, Commissioner, Virginia Employment Commission

Panelists:
William J. Carlson, Ph.D., Administrator, Office of Foreign Labor Certification

Gary Estenson, Deputy Executive Director, Colorado Department of Labor & Employment
Colorado's Experience: One State’s Attempts to Improve H-2A Through Legislation