To announce the Workforce Innovations 2004: Fueling America`s Economic Engine conference to be held in San Antonio, Texas, July 19-21.

To announce an effort to collect photos and stories to illustrate the value of America`s publicly funded Workforce Investment System.

To announce the extension of Recognition of Excellence application deadline and transmit Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is pleased to sponsor the first annual Recognition of Excellence on behalf of the nation¿s workforce investment system. To recognize superior employment and training related programs and improve system performance, ETA has established a system to recognize high levels of success by entities managing and partnering with ETA funded programs. ETA recognizes that achieving commendable outcomes requires much more than statutory or regulatory compliance. Therefore, high levels of success should be recognized, and it is ETA¿s hope that this recognition process will facilitate the exponential replication of promising practices throughout the workforce investment system.

To inform the workforce investment system of the implementation of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) Strategic Alliance Memorandum.

To educate workforce leaders about building new and successful partnerships between the WIA system and faith-based and community organizations (FBCO), and to announce a new grant opportunity for workforce investment boards (WIB) that successfully demonstrate the ability to partner with FBCOs.

To encourage labor representatives on state and local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to attend the 2004 training conferences sponsored by the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute. The conferences will be held May 12-14 in San Diego, California, and May 19-21 in New York, New York.

To encourage attendance and participation at the "United We Ride National Leadership Forum", February 23-25, 2004, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of Labor is pleased to be a co-sponsor of this Forum in partnership with other agencies in the Departments of Transportation, Education, and Health and Human Services. Letters to Governors have been sent from the four Secretaries asking teams of three to five senior decision-makers to attend the Forum, including a representative of the Workforce Investment Board. A copy of the letter is attached for your information.

To inform State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) of the 2004 Monitor Advocate Training being held in San Antonio, Texas, April 13-16, 2004.

To inform the workforce investment system of the implementation of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Labor (DOL) Memorandum of Understanding.