TAA and Rapid Response Protocols

Dislocated Worker Services

Jay Bassett

Division Chief

Dislocated Worker Services

Governor’s Dislocated Worker

Task Force- Rapid Response

• Regina Moss, Program Operations Manager

• Donna Harris, Business Solutions Analyst

• Carlos Wright, Business Solutions Analyst

• Dawn Bolton, Mobile Workforce Center Coordinator

• Gregory Nichols, Mobile Workforce Center Coordinator

History

• The Governor’s Dislocated Worker Task Force was established in

1983 under the Federal Job Training Partnership Act. It is

currently funded under Title I of the Federal Workforce

Innovation and Opportunity Act to help Arkansas meet changing

workforce needs and compete more effectively in a global

economy. The Task Force is charged with addressing the needs

and concerns of communities and individuals affected by worker

dislocation.

Objectives of the Task Force

• By monitoring of State Labor Market information, the Task

Force identifies most permanent closings and layoffs in

advance. Other sources include:

• Employer Notification (WARN Notices – Worker Adjustment

and Retraining Notification);

• Information from Workers;

• Spikes in UI Benefit Payments;

• Information from Community-based organizations;

• Union Notifications;

• Local Office Personnel;

• News Media.

Objectives of the Task Force

• Whenever possible, the Task Force, through its Rapid Response,

Business Retention and Workforce Transition initiatives, begins

immediately to work with the company, the community, and the

affected individuals to lessen the impact of dislocation.

Objectives of the Task Force

The current economic climate is challenging, but even in the best of

times local economies and businesses may be in transition:

Businesses are routinely:

 Expanding

 Down-sizing

 Merging

 Relocating

 Reorganizing

 Closing

Function

• To provide information and services for companies and

employees impacted by business transitions. This may include

referring workers to training opportunities and researching

potential job options.

• To offer Layoff Aversion Strategies

• To connect other services/agencies that can assist in these

transitions

• To provide direct services for both businesses and employees

• To act as a gateway to the One-Stop System

Goals

• Respond to layoffs and closings throughout the State

• Coordinate with Company Officials, Union Representatives,

Community Leaders and State Agencies to plan transition

strategies

• Coordinate and provide quality, on-site pre-layoff services

(tailored to company & employee needs)

Coordination of Local and

State

• Whenever possible, the Task Force conducts Worker

Assistance Workshops, attended by representatives of local

and state agencies and affected workers to review the

programs and resources available to them.

• Services and topics discussed at the workshops include

retraining and educational opportunities, unemployment

insurance, social service programs, stress management, credit

counseling and job search tips.

Affected Worker Services

What Services Are Available to Help Dislocated Workers?

Task Force Linkages

Notice of Layoff or Closure

Employer Meeting

(On-site meeting of Task Force personnel and company

officials to exchange information)

Planning Meeting

(Meeting of community leaders, employee representatives,

company officials and Task Force representatives to develop a

service strategy)

Worker Assistance Workshops

(Seminars designed to bring services to workers)

Opportunity Fairs

(Combination of post-secondary schools and employers conveying

information to interested workers)

Business Retention/

Layoff Aversion Strategies

A proactive approach to planning for and managing economic

transitions.

•

Ongoing efforts:



Building relationships with employers and other

community stakeholders;



Sharing information on possible alternatives;



Increasing knowledge of labor market trends and

economic forecasts;



Strategic planning, data gathering and analysis designed

to anticipate, prepare for, and manage economic

transition;



Understanding workforce assets and needs;



Convening, facilitating, and brokering connections,

networks, and partners;



Planning for and responding to layoffs, minimizing their

impacts wherever possible.

Governor’s Dislocated

Worker Task Force

In calendar year 2014, 82 companies reported actual or

anticipated layoffs or closures to the Governor’s Dislocated

Worker Task Force. The layoffs and closures affected 3,458

workers.

In calendar year 2015, 60 companies reported layoffs or closures

to the Governor’s Dislocated Worker Task Force. The layoffs and

closures affected 6,743 workers.

In calendar year 2016, 67 companies reported actual or

anticipated layoffs or closures to the Governor’s Dislocated

Worker Task Force. The layoffs and closures affected 4,810

workers.

Mobile Workforce Centers

• The Task Force operates 5 Mobile Workforce Centers which

are transported, as needed, to areas of worker dislocation.

• Workers are provided assistance in resume writing, job search,

application preparation and interviewing techniques.

• Career Readiness Assessments, Occupational Skills

Assessment (TORQ) and Real Life Arkansas.

• The Mobile Centers are equipped with 10 to 13 PCs with Wi-Fi

and /or full satellite internet connectivity.

Mobile Workforce Centers

Layoff Transition Centers

• “On-Site” resources implemented prior to dislocation.

• Include Resume Writing and Job Search Workshops.

• Counseling on Individual Employment Plan development.

• Arkansas JobLink Registration and Occupational Skills

Assessment (TORQ).

Area Assignments

CARLOS WRIGHT DONNA HARRIS REGINA MOSS

Email: [email protected]ov

Office Phone: 501-682-3550

Cell Phone: 501-258-8368

Fax: 501-682-4263

Address: 1501 S. Main St.

P.O. Box 2981

Little Rock, AR 72203-2981

Office Hours: 7:30AM-4:00PM

Email: donna.harris@arkansas.gov

Office Phone: 501-320-5621

Cell Phone: 501-442-6596

Fax: 501-682-4263

Address: 1501 S. Main St.

P.O. Box 2981

Little Rock, AR 72203-2981

Office Hours: 8:30AM-5:00PM

Email: [email protected]

Office Phone501-683-1412

Cell Phone: 501-352-0423

Fax: 501-682-4263

Address: 1501 S. Main St.

P.O. Box 2981

Little Rock, AR 72203-2981

Office Hours: 7:30AM-4:00PM

AREA ASSIGNMENTS AREA ASSIGNMENTS AREA ASSIGNMENTS

Forrest City Conway Texarkana

Helena Russellville Magnolia

West Memphis Ft. Smith El Dorado

Batesville Mena Arkadelphia

Newport Benton Hope

Blytheville Hot Springs Camden

Searcy Rogers Monticello

Little Rock Fayetteville Pine Bluff

Jacksonville Harrison Malvern

Paragould Mountain Home

Jonesboro

Siloam Springs

Reemployment Services (RES)

Program

• Utilizes claimant demographic data to identify Unemployment

Insurance (UI) recipients that are at risk of exhausting benefits

before returning to gainful employment.

• Assistance is provided to these participants, and requires

completion of a job search workshop to maintain their UI

benefits.

RES Program

• Job Search workshop

• Orientation to WFC system

• RES Program Overview

• Labor Market Information

• Career Readiness Certification Information

• Job Search Tips

• Resume Tips

• Application Tips

• Interview Tips

• Partner Program Information

RES Program

Tammy Dragon, Program Operations Manager

RES Program Staff

• Greg Bodiford

• Conway, Dumas, Forrest City, Helena, Jacksonville, Monticello,

Pine Bluff

• Lanita Wadley

• Batesville, Blytheville, Jonesboro, Newport, Paragould, West

Memphis

• Mary Agee-Harris

• Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison, Mountain Home, Mena, Rogers

• Monica Macon

• Arkadelphia, Camden, El Dorado, Hot Springs, Magnolia, Malvern,

Texarkana

Reemployment Services &

Eligibility Assessment (RESEA)

Program

• The RESEA Program enhances the current RES Program

process by providing one on one intensive service counseling

sessions for selected claimants to maintain benefits.

• The goal of the RESEA program is not only to keep claimants

from exhausting their benefits before moving on to

employment, but also to reduce the number of weeks claimed

and to reduce the total benefits paid to result in a new savings

for the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

RESEA Program

Tammy Dragon, Program Operations Manager

RESEA Program Staff

• Charley Hilton, Jr.

• Benton

• Carol McDearmon

• Little Rock

• Amber Mullis

• Russellville

• Darius Richmond

• Hope

• Andrew Barnes

• Searcy

RES/RESEA Programs

RES/RESEA Administrative Staff

• Mark Gillis

• Program Monitor

• John Mahoney

• Program Monitor

Reentry Outreach

• Beginning in 2012, the Governor’s Dislocated Worker Task and

the Reemployment Services Unit have been working in

partnership with various correctional facilities throughout the

state.

• Staff provides job search information, career readiness

assessment and reentry guidance to the inmate

population. Agency Mobile Workforce Centers have regularly

been utilized to support these activities.

Reentry Outreach

• In response to Act 1190 of 2013, and in furtherance of

Governor Hutchinson’s commitment to develop employment

opportunities for those reentering the workforce post-

incarceration, a formal re-entry program for the ex-felon

populations was design for those discharged from the

Arkansas Department (ADC) of Corrections and Arkansas

Community Corrections (ACC) facilities.

• This program was developed in collaboration with ACC and

ADC, with both organizations expressing significant support,

citing that recidivism rates drop from 60% to about 20% if the

participant successfully finds a job within the first 30 days

after release back into society.

Reentry Outreach

• This program involves the establishment of job search and soft

skills workshops in the 13 regional ACC probation and parole

offices, as well as 13 ADC facilities and Tucker Maximum

Security. Workshops are held on a monthly basis in the ACC

offices to serve the relatively short window of time that the

targeted population can participate in program activities. The

workshops occur quarterly at the 13 ADC facilities, and

convene once a year at Tucker Maximum.

• Individuals who participate in the program are also referred to

Local Workforce Development Boards, as well as the 28

training programs that are currently administered by the

Discretionary Grants Team in collaboration with Arkansas

Community Colleges and Arkansas Apprenticeship Coalition.

Reentry Week Activities

The Justice Department has designated the week of April 24-30,

2017, as National Reentry Week. During this week, the Bureau

of Prisons was asked to coordinate reentry events at their

facilities across the country – from job fairs, to practice

interviews, to mentorship programs, to events for children of

incarcerated parents – designed to help prepare inmates for

release.

Following is our schedule so far:

• Arkansas Community Correction Sponsored Reentry

Week. 4/25/17. 8:00am-4:30pm. Arkansas Community

Correction 1001 W. Walnut St. Rogers, AR 72756. Arkansas

Community Correction Reentry Team will be assisting

returning citizens obtain job readiness, update resumes,

search for jobs, and utilize all that workforce has to

offer. Mobile Workforce Center requested.

Reentry Week Activities

• Workforce Reentry Job Fair. 4/25/17. 10:00am-2:00pm. Probation

Parole-Reentry and Workforce. 300 Eldridge Road. Forrest City, AR

72336. Mobile Workforce Center requested.

• ACC Reentry Job Fair. 4/26/17. Hope. Approximately 10-15

employers and community providers hoped to participate for

benefit of the population of people ready to reenter the workforce

upon release. Mobile Workforce Center requested.

• Working For a Living- Reentry Event hosted by the Southwest

Arkansas Community Correction Center. 4/27/17. 9:00am-

2:00pm. Southwest Arkansas Community Correction Center. 506

Walnut Street. Texarkana, AR 71854. Mobile Workforce Center

requested.

Transferable Occupation

Relationship Quotient (TORQ)

• Online Occupational Skills Assessment that identifies an

individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities based on previous

work experience and current level of education.

• The results of the assessment are used to identify:

• Alternate Occupations

• Potential Skills Gaps

• Educational Institutions to Close those Skills Gaps

• The assessment offers real time job postings:

• Simply Hired

• Indeed

• US.Jobs

TORQ Facts

TORQ has evolved from an Emergency Unemployment

Compensation (EUC) requirement to a Universal Customer

Employment & Training Tool

• ADWS began utilizing TORQ

• March of 2012

• Total number of occupational skills assessments created

statewide:

• Over 175,000

TORQ

Trade Adjustment Assistance

Program Operations Staff

• James Nash, Program Operations Manager

• Amanda Gentry, TAA Trade Technician – Fayetteville, Harrison, Mountain Home and Rogers

• Katherine Williams & Glenda Stockton, TAA Specialists

• Sharon Shields, TAA Trade Technician – Blytheville, Paragould, Jonesboro, Newport, Searcy

and Conway

• Sherry Faulkner, Courtney Moore, Elaine Cossey, Billie Williams & Betty Mendoza, TAA Specialists

• Christie Satterwhite, TAA Trade Technician – Magnolia, Texarkana, Arkadelphia, Hot Springs,

Malvern, El Dorado, Pine Bluff and Camden

• Amber Gilchrist & Melanie Boyte, TAA Specialists

• Kathy Sass, TAA Trade Technician – Russellville, Fort Smith and Mena

• Tammy Roper, Clara Duckworth & Rose Davis, TAA Specialists

• Falonda Brazle, TAA Trade Technician – Little Rock, Jacksonville, Forrest City, Blytheville and West

Memphis

• Stephanie Lee, Juanita Lee & Chisa Middleton, TAA Specialists

Trade Adjustment Assistance

(TAA)

The TAA Program helps workers who have lost their jobs as a result

of foreign trade policy

TAA offers a variety of benefits and services to eligible workers:

________________________________

Employment Services

Income Support (TRA)

Relocation Allowance

HCTC

Job Training

• Occupational Training

• On-The-Job Training

• Customized Training

• Registered Apprenticeship

Job Search Allowance

ARTAA & RTAA Wage Subsidy

Trade Adjustment Assistance

Fiscal Unit Staff

• Marcia Chandler, Program Operations Manager, TAA Fiscal Unit

• Kevin Shadwick, Field Audit Specialist

• Teresa White, Program Monitor

• Cheryl Esaw, Fiscal Support Supervisor

• Sandra Davis, Fiscal Support Analyst

• Janet King, Workforce Specialist

• Cheryl Rivers, Workforce Specialist