NASWA 73rd Annual Conference — Conference Highlights
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 OPENING PLENARY PLENARY SESSION (continued) Are We Facing Another Jobless Recovery? What Should We Do? William D. Rodgers, III, Ph.D., Professor and Chief Economist, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University
Focusing on the United States labor market, Professor Rodgers summarized conditions before and during the current recession. He described the jobless recoveries after the 1991-1992 and 2001 recessions; assessed the prospects for a third "jobless recovery;" and whether it will be abbreviated or extended; and discussed various policies needed to minimize the chances and potential length of another "jobless recovery." PLENARY SESSION (continued)
What Does the Great Recession Imply for Workforce Professionals?
Carl E. Van Horn , Director and Professor of Public Policy, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers UniversityThe Great Recession and the Next Generation of Workforce Development Strategies 
Text of Speech Professor Van Horn discussed the challenges workforce development agencies and professionals face as they cope with the deepest recession in generations. In addition to handling unprecedented demands for services, workforce agencies must also plan for a disappointing or "jobless" recovery. Drawing on research conducted by the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Dr. Van Horn reported on the experiences of the unemployed and what they expect from workforce agencies. He also discussed strategies workforce professionals can consider as they adjust and refine their approaches to helping jobseekers in this challenging economy. 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Workshops
What recipes are States using to create an effective use of the additional monies received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? A dash of this, a dab of that, and a whole lot of alphabet soup! This workshop discussed some of the promising practiceds states have implemented with Recovery Act funds, plus regular program allotments. A special focus will be on the new programs included in the Recovery Act - Reemployment Services and Summer Youth Programs.
Established in early 2007, the JobCentral National Labor Exchange (NLX) is a sophisticated employment network operated through a unique public/private partnership between DirectEmployers Association (DEA), a non-profit organization of more than 480 Fortune 500 companies and NASWA's state workforce agency members. This session discussed how state job banks are connecting with the nation's largest employers to received thousands of unduplicated and currently available job opportunities. The session described the basics of the NLX initiative and outlined all available and upcoming cost-free services to the states. Discussed was how you can increase the number of job orders in your job-bank, realize substantial cost savings, receive valuable LMI data, provide targeted services to your veterans, enhance your job bank's market share, and much more.
Employment and unemployment statistics have long been closely followed for their importance in interpreting the health of the economy; however, missing from analysis has been accurate statistics on the current occupational labor demand of employers. Recently, the Conference Board, a recognized leader in the publication of major national and international economic indicators, has been publishing a new economic time-series on occupational labor demand at the national, state and local level that has been attracting the attention of state Labor Market Information (LMI) Directors for it's labor market analysis potential and for it's potential to address current re-employment and training issues. Attendees at this workshop learned why LMI Directors in several states are excited about making use of these "real time" job demand data and the prospective power it lends to reemployment programs and decision-making in states. Panelists explained how relevant these data are and how some states have been using this information to understand their local economies and support the reemployment programs in their states.
As your state continues to invest millions of dollars in Unemployment Insurance (UI) Information Technology (IT) modernization projects, have you asked yourself these questions? What technology changes are being proposed and how will they impact your state? What is the rollout plan for the changes to the network and applications? What does your state need to do to be ready for these changes? The primary goal behind states UI IT modernization efforts has been to improve customer service. In an atmosphere of diminishing financial and human resources, state agencies are accomplishing their goals by designing, writing or developing new tax or benefits systems, with some states doing both simultaneously. In today's world of technology, more and more states are moving to web-based applications to promote customer service and efficiency. This workshop addressed the challenges, successes, and potential opportunities for collaboration with business and other states. Attendees learned about the successful state efforts undertaken by Minnesota and Mississippi, and learned about the key differences between successful, and not so successful, UI IT modernization plans.
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Workshops (continued) The recent economic recession has elevated the need for states to be prepared to face an economic downturn and quickly implement an economic response plan. Early warning and layoff aversion strategies are an important part of such a broad economic response plan. The program discussed the importance of integrating lay-off aversion in a state's rapid response strategy. It also offered a nuts-and-bolts background primer with practical information on how to establish a successful early warning and layoff aversion program. Finally, the workshop will offer state workforce agency perspectives on the related activities and lessons-learned.
Pretexting is the act of creating and using a fictional scenario to obtain confidential information. It exploits the weakest link in the security chain - your staff. This workshop will explain what Pretexting is, how it works, why it is used, and why it is an enormous risk to your agency. Pretexting calls to state agencies are included in the presentation. Most important, how team work among state agencies, the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Justice yielded indictments of 12,000 counts of identity theft and a host of other multi-state federal indictments were discussed. This internal security workshop provided important information on security requirements and useful strategies and tools for enhancing security within the UI Program.
This panel shared the challenges and implications of bringing workforce and education data together to help attendees understand how this may support research, policy development and program operations in the 21st century.
Thursday, September 24, 2009 PLENARY SESSION
Employment and Training Administration Reemployment Conference and Regional Forums: Lessons Learned
Timothy Martin , Director, Office of Special Initiatives and Demonstrations, Boston Regional Office, Employment and Training Administration.ReEnvisioning ReEmployment: Innovating for Economic Recovery & Growth
Last year, the Employment and Training Administration embarked on a technical assistance and training effort to re-focus on reemployment in a changing global economy; better connect and align multiple reemployment programs; understand what works and identify areas of opportunity for innovation; and engage the workforce system in the effort. This session covered what has been learned to date, including innovative practices related to reemployment from across the country and the planned next steps for the coming year. PLENARY SESSION (Continued) Creating Green Jobs and a Cleaner Economy
Greg Weeks, Ph.D. , Director, Labor Market & Economic Analysis, Washington Employment Security DepartmentJobs and the Green Economy
Policy discussions concerning green jobs are rarely based on an operational definition of what constitutes a green job. Therefore, discussing a goal of the growth of green jobs before we know the definition of green jobs may be putting the cart before the horse. This session shared the challenges, best practices, and results of survey work aimed at defining green jobs, industries, and skills Three states, Washington, Michigan, and Oregon, have published reports on studies that define green jobs and estimate the number of green jobs in those states. This presentation described the three similar but not identical definitions used by these states, their findings, and progress to date in the area of green jobs employment statistics on the national level. 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Workshops (continued) The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program has always been a major workforce program in most states; however, the program has been expanded, making it even more a substantial component of the workforce system. This workshop provided a briefing regarding the major changes in TAA, information regarding the current TAA workload, expectations for the future, status reports from a few states, and recommendations on promising practices. Panelists include State Administrators, a representative of the USDOL Employment and Training Administration, and a representative for the Health Care Tax Credit program.
Established in early 2007, the JobCentral National Labor Exchange (NLX) is a sophisticated employment network operated through a unique public/private partnership between DirectEmployers Association (DEA), a non-profit organization of more than 480 Fortune 500 companies and NASWA's state workforce agency members. This session discussed how the NLX partnership has leveraged resources while implementing two very distinct initiatives both aiming to assist jobseekers become economically independent. The first initiative involves the development of an on-line tool, titled Rapid Reemployment Initiative (RRI). Implemented in New Jersey and Connecticut, this tool aims to offer an automated solution connecting available downsized labor pools with interested employers within and across state boundaries. The second initiative involves a growing partnership with the US Army Reserve to bring real opportunities and services to soldiers before and after their separations from service.
Nearly 20 states are currently borrowing more than $13 billion from the federal government in advances to their unemployment trust funds. By the end of 2010, these states will be expected to pay interest against the outstanding balance of these loans. This workshop explained proven methods used by states to maintain trust fund solvency and avoid borrowing from the federal government, the consequences states face if they borrow from the federal government and the options available to insolvent states to regain their financial footing. It examined present and future financing issues with regard to state unemployment trust fund solvency, comparing the borrowing in the current recession to that of past recessions. Panelists discussed the different options available to states to maintain trust fund solvency including bonding, cash-flow loans, tax increases and benefit cuts. Attendees learned the effectiveness of these options, and the plausibility of using them in the future. Come to this workshop to hear the federal perspective on different state financing models, and future policy initiatives by the federal government to assist states.
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Workshops (continued)
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been called the "signature injuries" of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. With hundreds of thousands of brave men and women expected to be coping with the challenges of these conditions as they reenter civilian life, employers are recognizing a need to educate themselves and respond to the workplace needs of the TBI and PTSD populations. America's Heroes at Work is a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) project that aims to help returning service members affected by TBI or PTSD succeed in the workplace. The initiative is a targeted anti-stigma campaign designed to increase awareness of TBI and PTSD issues among the workforce system, and to educate employers on workplace accommodations and employment supports they can implement for these employees. Attendees of this workshop: (1) Heard about the America's Heroes at Work initiative and the Employment Pilot Project; (2) Learned the facts about TBI and PTSD, including common symptoms and research that dispels myths; (3) Learned promising practices and specific workplace accommodations that can help employees with TBI and PTSD succeed (from job coaching and mentoring, to lighting adjustments and schedule reminders); and (4) A demonstration of the America's Heroes at Work Web site and the educational materials it houses.
"Worker Misclassification" is a festering problem in the States. Often under the guise of "independent contractors," "covered employees" are working for businesses across all industries and occupations. When worker misclassification occurs, everyone loses. In this workshop, attendees learned valuable information about illegal practices as well as tips to help you detect worker misclassification in your state. With the growing use of misclassified or non-classified workers, what are the implications and challenges for the UI program? Who should be covered? How are the federal government and states addressing this issue? This session provided a description of the independent contractor (IC) issues from the federal perspective, including tax gap issues, employer motivation and current examples of IC detection and enforcement initiatives. Approaches to worker misclassification, independent contractor determinations, new audit and investigative models also were discussed.
Information Technology (IT) Contingency Planning for the Unemployment Insurance program serves as an essential element to the operations of state workforce agencies in times of crisis. Planning is so essential that the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General identified 17 components that were used to conduct two audits this year on state IT Contingency plans, one of which was completed in April 2009. The results from the audit revealed that states are still looking to develop, improve upon, and implement several of the components that were reviewed. With September being recognized as National Preparedness Month, this workshop reviewed the technology contingency measures that some states currently have in place and how they have incorporated technology contingency planning into the modernization of their Unemployment Insurance IT systems. It also explored the use of the Interstate Connection (ICON) system and how it may serve as a useful tool to assist states during contingent events.
Friday, September 25, 2009 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. CLOSING PLENARY Cascades Ballroom Presided by Karen Lee, NASWA President and Commissioner, Washington Department of Employment Security Panel Discussion: The Economy, The Recovery Act and Challenges for States Workforce Agencies
This discussion will help inform an ETA-sponsored study NASWA is directing with partners at Johns Hopkins University, the Urban Institute, Capital Research Associates and the University of Texas. The NASWA study, which will include state surveys and site visits, will provide critical information to federal policymakers, such as implementation hurdles and major successes, and the potential need for additional federal and state action. This study is co-directed by Rich Hobbie, Executive Director, NASWA, and Burt Barnow, a professor at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Barnow will moderate the discussion.
Background: The Economy and Challenges for States Workforce Agencies Lawrence Chimerine, Ph.D., Managing Director and Chief Economist at the Economic Strategy Institute Despite recent positive signs and speculation the recession that began in December 2007 might be over, economists project the unemployment rate to peak above 10 percent next year. In July 2009, the unemployment rate was little changed from June at 9.4 percent, but the economy still lost 331,000 jobs. Recently, the Conference Board reported online job demand in August was up by 169,000 to nearly 3.5 million job openings. But, with over 14 million workers unemployed, over 9 million workers on unemployment compensation, and a huge influx of unemployed workers wanting and needing services, state workforce agencies face big challenges filling existing job openings and helping workers who cannot find jobs quickly. Dr. Chimerine lead off with an overview of the economic climate and the challenges states face in the coming months. Discussion: States Meeting the Challenges
Six state administrators from around the country discussed their state economies and the challenges their agencies face over the next year. The Employment and Training Administration stressed states must spend Recovery Act funds fast and well. The state administrators addressed such questions as: How rapidly are states spending these funds? How well are states spending these funds? Are states permanently adding to capacity? Are they innovating with these funds? Are they targeting services on workers most in need? Are they emphasizing long-term returns on investments? Are they integrating reemployment services with the unemployment insurance program? |
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