To announce the release and the availability of report titled Ready4Work: Final Research Report.

To provide checklists of all currently active ETA Advisories as well as checklists of all ETA Advisories rescinded/cancelled since the previously issued checklists.

To inform the workforce system of the important Department of Labor resources that have been developed for faith-based and community initiatives. These resources educate workforce system administrators and staff in how best to partner with faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) and how to integrate FBCOs into their strategic planning and service delivery process.

To announce the release and availability of the paper, Competency Models: A Review of the Literature and the Role of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) prepared in ETA’s Division of Research and Evaluation, Office of Policy Development and Research.

To remind states of options that are available under Federal unemployment compensation (UC) law to mitigate layoffs, permit payments for certain self-employment activities, and extend benefits to individuals who have exhausted their regular UC.

To announce the annual list of Labor Surplus Areas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the release and availability of a report entitled: Implementation Analysis of High-Growth Job Training Initiative Programs.

To announce the release and the availability of the following Youth Opportunity (YO) Grant Initiative items:

• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Summary and Implications
• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Executive Summary
• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Ethnographic Evaluation Final Report
• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Impact and Synthesis Report
• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Management Information System Final Report
• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Process Evaluation Final Report
• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Appendices
• Youth Opportunity Grant Initiative: Public Data Set

To inform states that the UI Benefits and Adjudication National Training Forum is scheduled for April 14-16, 2009, in Portland, Oregon, and to encourage states to participate in the conference.

To provide guidance to states regarding the collection and use of social security numbers for participants accessing Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and other workforce programs’ services.