The purpose of this advisory is to inform the SWAs that the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is granting an extension period where employers or their representatives can file WOTC certification requests for new hires using the previously OMB-approved June 2007 ETA Forms 9061 or 9062.

To announce the release and availability of the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) Occasional Paper 2009-9:
Trends in the Structure of the Labor Market and Unemployment: Implications for U.S. Unemployment Insurance.

To inform state workforce agencies (SWAs) about plans and the timetable for upgrading the UI-ICON to take advantage of new technologies and better support more diverse state information technology (IT) architectures.

On March 9, 2009, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) emailed Indian and Native American grantees a letter and Modification Addendum regarding the availability and use of funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act), and stated that specific guidance would be forthcoming. Accordingly, the purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to provide further policy guidance and direction regarding the Recovery Act funding for activities authorized under the WIA, Subtitle D, Section 166, Native American Programs. Through this guidance, ETA is also providing specific instructions about the requirements for Indian and Native American grantees to modify the currently approved two year plan.

To provide additional guidance to states concerning unemployment compensation (UC) modernization incentive payments, the recent special administrative transfers, and to correct guidance related to relief from interest on advances to state unemployment funds.

The purposes of this guidance are: 1) To provide all current SCSEP grantees with further instructions and procedures for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funds that are available on February 17, 2009, with a period of performance to June 30, 2010; and 2) To extend the period of performance of current Program Year (PY) 2008 grants for an additional six months to December 31, 2009.

To inform the workforce investment system of the cancellation of this Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored conference in 2009.

The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is twofold. First, the TEGL provides policy guidance and direction regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“the Recovery Act”) funding for activities authorized under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) and the Wagner-Peyser Act. The second purpose is to provide specific instructions regarding the requirement for states to modify their WIA and Wagner-Peyser Strategic State Plans.

To announce the release and availability of the Interim Report: Assisting Newcomers through Employment and Support Services: An Evaluation of the New Americans Centers Demonstration Project in Arkansas and Iowa prepared by The Urban Institute.

To announce the National Conference for UI Tax Administration that will be held in Savannah, Georgia, August 16 – 19, 2009.