Workforce Bulletin - February 28, 2014
This edition of Workforce Bulletin contains articles including:
Senate Continues Negotiations on Potential Extension of EUC
As Congress returned from its President’s Day recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on Tuesday, February 25, indicated the Senate would continue its efforts to extend the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program.
NASWA Hosts 2014 Winter Policy Forum in Washington, D.C.
Last week, February 20-21, NASWA hosted its annual Winter Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., with over 160 attendees from 43 states participating in the Forum. NASWA’s annual Winter Policy Forum serves as the premier NASWA event for state workforce agency administrators and other workforce agency professionals to hear from and discuss current economic conditions in the U.S. with national experts in the field and also learn about the legislative outlook on a variety of workforce system issues facing Congress.
Bill aimed at Improving Hiring and Job Assistance for Veterans Fails to Pass in Senate
On Thursday, February 27, the Senate was unable to pass a wide ranging bill seeking to expand benefits and services to military members and veterans, including many provisions relating to veteran employment assistance and job-training programs. The bill, Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014 (S. 1982), authored by Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernard Sanders (I-VT), was unable to garner the 60 votes necessary to waive a budget point of order raised by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL).
NASWA State Supplemental Funding Survey Shows States Contributed $620 million in State Funds in FY 2013 to UI and Workforce Programs
Over the last 20 years, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) has surveyed state workforce agencies to determine the amount of state funds used to supplement federal grants to operate a variety of federal workforce and unemployment insurance programs. The NASWA State Supplemental Funding Survey is the Association’s longest running survey, with NASWA collecting supplemental funding information from states since 1994.
USDOL Announces $150 Million in Grants to Assist Long-Term Unemployed
On Wednesday, February 19, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) announced the availability of approximately $150 million in grants to assist those facing long-term unemployment. According to USDOL, the Ready to Work Partnership grant competition will seek to support and scale innovative partnerships between employers, nonprofit organizations and the public workforce system to assist persons who are long-term unemployed access employment services returning them to work.
NASWA Attends Listening Session with Secretary of Labor
On Wednesday, February 26, NASWA Executive Director Rich Hobbie and Deputy Executive Director Bob Simoneau participated in a forum on workforce development, along with representatives from 20 other workforce development organizations to discuss with Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Employment and Training Acting Assistant Secretary Eric Seleznow innovative approaches to skills development and to hear ideas on how to assist persons who are long-term unemployed return to work.
State Workforce Agency Members Encouraged to Attend 2014 DirectEmployers Annual Meeting
DirectEmployers Association (DirectEmployers) has invited NASWA members to attend the 2014 DirectEmployers Annual Meeting & Conference (DEAM14), scheduled to take place, March 25-27, in Washington, D.C.
NASWA Executive Director Rich Hobbie Retiring October 2014
After 16 years with NASWA and 12 years as Executive Director, Rich Hobbie announced his retirement, effective October 1, 2014.
NASWA Gains New Affiliate
NASWA has gained a new organization to its Affiliate program this week with Logisys Incorporated. Logisys was founded in 1992, to provide premier information technology staff to analyze, design and program new systems, and to maintain existing systems and programs in order to meet user requirements. For more information on Logisys Incorporated, visit http://www.logisysinc.com/.
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